Thirteen Islands
by Hoshida Yuujin
Summary: Sanji and Robin, crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates, witnessed a harassment early in the morning. The victim protected dear life in a way that shocked even the two experienced pirates. Have they found a possible new crew member, or will he be someone to be wary of in the future? Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. All credits go to the rightful owners.
1. C1 - The Boy of Sealock Island

**Author's Note: Hello. This is my first fanfiction on the Internet. If you have any comments regarding the story (flow, grammar, spellings, etc.), please do comment. It will be much appreciated (especially if the characters are a bit out-of-character)**

 **Also, I don't own One Piece, Eiichiro Oda-sensei does. Although, there'll be some original characters and fruits to look out for… Those are mine.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - The Boy of Sealock Island**

* * *

 _How do you start your day? Do you jump-start your morning by chatting with your friends? By walking leisurely to school? Or by simply enjoying your wonderful walk around your neighbourhood as the cold breeze brush your hair?_

 _Well, for me, my morning is simply normal... like any other morning I experience..._

 _Take note... Like **any** other morning I experience..._

...

"Get back here!"

"You dare mess with us, you brat!"

"B-But... I didn't do anything wrong with you guys!"

"Simply passing in front of us destroyed our morning, you insolent brat! Get back here so we can give you what for!"

 _Yup. That's my daily routine - getting chased by thugs hanging out near the harbour early in the morning even if I didn't do anything wrong to them, nor am I planning to do anything to them at all! Like always, I plan on starting my day by getting myself energized by the salty air coming from the sea. Living a few blocks away from the harbour, I tend to walk to where the fishing boats and the occasional pirate ships dock. Yup, that's right. Pirate ships. Although they don't really pass by the island that often since the Wano Kingdom is practically the one hogging all tourists and pirates approaching the vicinity._

 _But, Wano has closed its doors for quite some time now, so… yeah._

 _Anyway, back to my fate. To make sure I don't pass by any thugs, I decided to do detours along the way, all different routes to the harbour every day. But, for some reasons unknown to me, they really know how and where to find me and really chase me up to the harbour, just to suddenly stop along the way and allow me to get a hasty getaway. And to top all that, I still have not found out as to why they constantly target me even if I did not do anything to them. **At all.**_

 _Today, I see a new ship docked at the harbour as I continue on running for my well-being. It's a big pirate ship, apparently a brig sloop, with a somewhat cute design of a lion as its figurehead. Or is it a sunflower? I couldn't tell. As I pass on its side, I see a big number_ 1 _painted on it for some reasons. But, for sure, that won't help me with my current situation... As the guys behind me get closer ... and closer!_

"You little brat! Making us chase you all the way here to the harbour! Once we get our hands on you, you'll never walk again!" As I slightly turn my head around, I see one arm stretched towards me, and it's getting closer and closer to my sweaty arm.

"G-Get away!" Out of reflex, I abruptly halted and crossed my arms in front of me with my shaking palms spread open, covering my scared face as I turned it sideways with my eyes shut.

 _Again, as if by magic or by divine intervention, I felt that something was about to reoccur. As I opened my once darkness-infested eyes, I saw the two buff guys that chased me all the way to the harbour in a standstill while looking sideways, one on the left and the other on the right, as if they both saw something of importance. Seeing an opportunity, I slowly backed down and dashed off to the opposite way for safety._

* * *

"Robin-chwan~~! Care to have some delicious crème brulee? Fresh from the oven..." Sanji waltzed flirtatiously with one hand holding a tray with the aforementioned custard placed on it to where the crew's archaeologist was sitting comfortably while reading her book of the day.

"Thanks, Sanji." The woman borne from Ohara smiled kindly at the blonde-haired cook.

"You little brat! Making us chase you all the way here to the harbour! Once we get our hands on you, you'll never walk again!"

Being the only ones on the Thousand Sunny at that time, it was quite peaceful. No Luffy running amok, no Zoro constantly arguing with the curly-browed pirate, and no Chopper nor Usopp idolizing the cyborg shipwright. The other members of the Straw Hat Pirates decided to take a short break from all the stressful shenanigans that have happened previously by going to the heart of the island they just docked on. Robin, feeling bored of walking, decided to stay on the ship and read instead. Sanji, on the other hand, planned on doing an inventory check first before heading down to buy their necessary supplies, but seeing one of the two females of the crew stay behind, he first took the opportunity to have some moment with the Hana-Hana no Mi user.

That peace, however, was suddenly shattered when the two pirates heard a sudden ranting early in the morning, intrigued on what was happening on the harbour, Robin and Sanji approached the side of the ship and saw three men - two buff ones chasing a skinny, and somewhat younger man.

 _The usual harassment of thugs, huh._ Sanji thought while looking down onto the skinny lad wearing tattered clothing.

What happened next left their eyes motionless. As they saw the skinny lad cross his arms, the two pursuers suddenly came to an abrupt stop and immediately looked both ways. After a while, the pirates saw the young skinny lad, with both worry and relief clearly visible on his sweaty face, dash away to the other side of the harbour, leaving the two thugs behind him in a complete stop.

"Robin-san... Was that..." The blonde-haired pirate tried to speak his mind while processing what just happened before him.

"I'm sure that was not Haoshoku no Haki. If it was... those two should have fallen onto the concrete already." The shocked archaeologist explained with her arms crossed in front of her.

"A Devil Fruit User?"

"Could be. But judging from that lad's expression earlier, he had no idea how he did it." The tall woman then turned around and took from the table her previously scanned study. "Sanji..."

"Yes, Robin-san?" Sensing that Robin was a bit serious, the cook decided to forget to act amative towards the fellow pirate and listened attentively.

"Can you look for that lad for me? I find him... **_interesting_**."

With a slight look towards the male behind her, Robin saw Sanji creepily grinning from ear to ear. To the cook, it has been a while since the lady archaeologist asked him to do something unrelated to cooking. So with determination and a hint of flirtatious intent, Black Leg happily stormed off, with hearts fluttering around his being.

* * *

 _Shit... Where's that kid now?_

Amongst the crowd, Sanji was practically on alert as he turned his head left and right looking for the lad he and Robin saw a few minutes back. However, despite his effort in looking for the boy, it was already an obvious fact that the curly-browed chef was already lost in the sea of people, and he was already on the verge of screaming his frustrations out in the air at that point.

 _What did Robin-san see in that kid anyway? Just because that kid could be a Devil Fruit User? Or is there something else?_

Scratching the back of his head, the blonde then took a few minutes to breathe in and analyse his next step. Seeing that the flow of people was much concentrated on the main road, he decided to look for possible alleyways he can take.

* * *

"Come on, Zoro! I'm hungry!"

 _I should have stayed behind and slept instead..._ Accompanying his captain, the green-haired swordsman walked lazily down the road with his two arms crossed behind his head acting as a pillow while letting out a big yawn. "Then why did we go down here if you were just planning on going back on the ship to eat anyway?"

"I thought they'll have some nice restaurants or bars in this place. But instead, I'd rather eat Sanji's delicious cooking."

Seeing his crew member sigh in defeat, the rubber man continued on running towards the Thousand Sunny, leaving his companion way behind, dodging the approaching people with ease. As Luffy was about to continue on dashing, he felt something hit him in the abdomen. Halting, the straw hat-wearing captain saw a young lad in tattered clothes sitting down on the ground, slightly rubbing his somewhat hurt pelvis on impact.

"Are you okay?" With a small degree of worry visible on his face, Luffy slightly lowered himself, crouching in front of the white-haired stranger he apparently bumped into.

"I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking for where I was going!" Without raising his head, the lad on the ground immediately prostrated in front to the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, not seeing the slight combination of worry and relief on the latter's face.

"Shishishishi! It was partly my fault for running. Come on, I'll help you get up." With that, Luffy stretched his right arm to the fallen guy, expecting the boy to grab it as the latter stood, but was instantaneously ignored as the white-haired lad instead used both his arms to push himself off the ground and, after a few bows and more apologies, immediately dashed away from the scene, without even lifting his face to meet the young captain's eyes. Not. Even. Once. Luffy was caught surprised by what just happened, but suddenly remembering his hunger, he returned his attention and energy into the sea of people and dashed off to the harbour.

* * *

 _I want to go home... **Fast**._

 _Charging towards a sea of people isn't really a good idea for me, a skinny 17-year old wearing tattered, dirty clothes. I wish this island could have just stayed peaceful and free from a lot of tourists and pirates, but **NNNOOO** , the recent turn of events in the Wano Kingdom just **had** to affect its surrounding islands, including this Sealock Island. People like me had to get away from all the people coming and going to the town to continue on living normally._

 _Currently, I'm in a dark alley, and after a few twists and turns within the darkness, I found myself staring into a stream of unfamiliar faces._

 _Great. Just great. And if I want to return to my place, I have to get past these tourists and reach the other side of the road. Ugh. I just want to go home and rest now..._

* * *

 _Around this time, Luffy should be back on the ship and is looking for something to eat. I **have** to find that brat. **Fast.**_

Sanji was almost exasperated. Almost tired of running around the town, the suit-wearing pirate stopped along a dark alley and took a few minutes to catch his breath.

 _Have I seen this dark alley before?_ Curious, the chef slowly ventured into the narrow path where the light of the rising sun was gradually penetrating, granting the blonde easy access as he continued his slow pace. After a few turns inside the newly found path, Sanji found himself a few metres away from a sea of tourists.

As he slowly took a few steps out of the dark alley and into the light, his attention shifted to a young white-haired boy crouching behind some garbage bins. And then it hit him. That white-haired lad in front of him is the one he is asked to look for, that one lad that got the attention of himself and of the crew's archaeologist. Slowly, he extended his arm towards the shoulders of the unsuspecting boy. As he finally laid contact into the tattered clothing of the lad in front of him, he noticed a sudden shiver coming from the receiving end.

All of a sudden, the white-haired lad faced the curly-browed chef with shock, fright, and a dash of horror visible on his face.

"W-Who are you?" Without further notice, the lad clad in tattered clothes immediately hid his face full of fear behind his dirty arms while budging into the trash bins behind him. Fright became very noticeable as Sanji saw the boy in front of him shake all the way from his head down to his legs. "W-What do you want with me?"

"Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you or anything." Sanji tried to convince the shaking boy but was ignored. Exhausted, he let out a small sigh. "Ok, now look-" Now, with a hint of irritation in his voice, the blonde again slowly extended his arm towards the shoulder of the boy but halted when the latter suddenly screamed.

"G-Get away!"

The lad closed his eyes and turned his head sideways, still behind his dirty hands with his palms now wide open, as if ordering the cook to stop advancing. Sanji tried to reach for the white-haired boy a bit more when his arms suddenly came to an abrupt stop and found himself turning towards the left, facing the concrete wall with his arm still extended. The next thing he knew, when he turned back to where the boy supposedly was, there was no one there anymore. All that's left were the garbage bins and the view of multiple faces passing by.

 ** _Shit!_** _Where did he go!?_ Immediately, Sanji jumped passed through the garbage bins and looked both to the left and to the right, trying to look for the target, but all he saw were hats of different styles and sizes and hairs of multiple colours - red, blue, yellow, black, but no white.

 _W-Was that..._ Remembering what just happened, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates slowly looked down to the palm of his hands, formed fists with them again and again, as if he lost control of them once and was glad to be reunited with them again, and returned his head to the stream of people passing in front of him. _Robin-san was right. That **was** a bit interesting._


	2. C2 - Bottoms Up

**Author's Note: Thank you for those who are reading this story of mine.**

 **Again, I don't own One Piece nor its characters, except for my originals.**

* * *

 **From where we left off:**

* * *

As he slowly took a few steps out of the dark alley and into the light, his attention shifted to a young white-haired boy crouching behind some garbage bins. And then it hit him. That white-haired lad in front of him is the one he is asked to look for, that one lad that got the attention of himself and of the crew's archaeologist. Slowly, he extended his arm towards the shoulders of the unsuspecting boy. As he finally laid contact into the tattered clothing of the lad in front of him, he noticed a sudden shiver coming from the receiving end.

All of a sudden, the white-haired lad faced the curly-browed chef with shock, fright, and a dash of horror visible on his face.

"W-Who are you?" Without further notice, the lad clad in tattered clothes immediately hid his face full of fear behind his dirty arms while budging into the trash bins behind him. Fright became very noticeable as Sanji saw the boy in front of him shake all the way from his head down to his legs. "W-What do you want with me?"

"Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you or anything." Sanji tried to convince the shaking boy but was ignored. Exhausted, he let out a small sigh. "Ok, now look-" Now, with a hint of irritation in his voice, the blonde again slowly extended his arm towards the shoulder of the boy but halted when the latter suddenly screamed.

"G-Get away!"

The lad closed his eyes and turned his head sideways, still behind his dirty hands with his palms now wide open, as if ordering the cook to stop advancing. Sanji tried to reach for the white-haired boy a bit more when his arms suddenly came to an abrupt stop and found himself turning towards the left, facing the concrete wall with his arm still extended. The next thing he knew, when he turned back to where the boy supposedly was, there was no one there anymore. All that's left were the garbage bins and the view of multiple faces passing by.

 ** _Shit!_** _Where did he go!?_ Immediately, Sanji jumped passed through the garbage bins and looked both to the left and to the right, trying to look for the target, but all he saw were hats of different styles and sizes and hairs of multiple colours - red, blue, yellow, black, but no white.

 _W-Was that..._ Remembering what just happened, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates slowly looked down to the palm of his hands, formed fists with them again and again, as if he lost control of them once and was glad to be reunited with them again, and returned his head to the stream of people passing in front of him. _Robin-san was right. That **was** a bit interesting._

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Bottoms Up**

* * *

 _Who **was** that guy?_

 _And what did he mean about 'not there to hurt me' crap?_

 _Like I'll believe them._

Catching his breath after a long sprint, in the middle of the busy street stood the exhausted white-haired fellow covered with dirt and dust. Despite being amidst the sea of faces, the lad was surprisingly unmoved from his spot as he bent down on his knees. Running around town without getting even a single bite of anything for 12 long hours can only do so much after all, especially for a skinny teen.

 _Well, this is exhausting._

 _Now that I've got away from those people, I **really** have to go back. I can't stand this any longer. I'm getting hungry again._

 _Well, what can **I** do?_

 _I haven't found anything to eat since last night, and I am **not** resorting to stealing. **Never**._

The resting lad kept his head down in an attempt to conserve his remaining energy. Thinking that he should be going back to his place, he decided to scoot over to the sidewalk to avoid getting hit again by passersby and started to limp forward with one arm clutching his rumbling stomach. From time to time, he stopped taking a single step and just stared at the clear blue sky.

 _Oh, look. The sun is up high now. How long have I been running, anyway? *Sigh_

Through the vast heavens soared flocks of birds that signified freedom and hope, not worries nor restraints, to those who gazed upon them. As the lad took a deep breath in, trying to take in the sudden realisation of the hopelessness of his situation, he returned his attention to the sea of people ahead of him. As he tried to take one step further, he suddenly felt an abrupt pressure behind him. Without warning, he found himself tumbling down knees first.

"Sorry about that."

 _Just my luck. I'm on the ground again. I might as well not move from here anymore._

Tired of moving a muscle to even look at his assailant's face, the white-haired lad curled himself, facing his back against a certain green-haired swordsman behind him.

"Oy, Are you all right?" The one-eyed pirate said monotonously.

"I'm fine." Zoro listened to the low tone of the lad in front of him. "Don't mind me. You can just move on with your life and leave me here, whoever you are. I tired of living already anyway."

"Really? You're not even going to look up to the person talking to you?"

"What's the point of doing that? Either way, we will all die eventually. In my case, **apparently** I'm destined to die of starvation... while wearing tattered clothes and in here... somewhere far... far away... from my... home... town..."

Zoro noticed the slowing pace of the lad's breathing and the apparent loss of consciousness.

And he was right.

As the green-haired swordsman turned to see the lad's face, he observed the numerous cuts and bruises on the entire body on the slumbering boy, even the supposedly hidden ones behind the torn piece of clothing.

 _This might leave a bad taste in my mouth if I just leave this kid here. But I don't even know him._

Zoro started scratching the back of his head, irritated. "Argh. I'll just ask Chopper to patch him up and that's that."

After deciding quite hesitantly, the swordsman slowly bent down and wedged his arms around the sleeping boy's body, then carefully lifted the youngster, placing him over his right shoulder head first.

'I'm not going back there. Not anymore.' Zoro jerked after hearing the soft statement of the lad, slowly turning his head to see the peaceful face of his passenger.

Zoro jerked after hearing the soft statement of the lad, slowly turning his head to see the peaceful face of his passenger.

 _He's sleep-talking, eh._

Shaking his head gently, the green-haired pirate began heading to the direction of the ship, not expecting to get lost along the way, apparently.

* * *

"Yohohoho~. It looks like we've got all the medicine you need, Chopper-san."

"Yes, Brook, and thank you for coming with me. You, too, Franky."

"No pr-roblem, Chopper." The shipwright was glancing over the displays in a shelf across the two.

The doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates found himself missing some herbs he needed for a concoction. Hoping to find what he needs in the town their ship just docked at, the talking reindeer took out his blue backpack and headed out to the new island. Finding nothing to do, the musician of the group decided to go with Chopper. After a few minutes of scanning and shopping at numerous shops, the two found themselves in front of a worn-out pub when a familiar voice caught their attention.

…

"Let's see if they have excellent cola here."

A wooden signage caught the eyes of the walking shipwright. It was a slightly crooked piece of plywood with names of several drinks that a pub beside it seemed to offer. Curious by one of the drinks listed, Franky decided to enter into the establishment.

As the pirate entered the pub, the smell of rust, smoke, and sweat welcomed him, not that he minded it though. He was already used to the wafting odour. The pub was a bit run-down. The tables were poorly maintained. Most tables, if not all, lacked one or two chairs each. The doorknob was nowhere to be found and left a gaping hole in its wake. The door was not only unfastened on the top portion but also squeaked as it waved with the passing wind. Despite that, the pub was filled with a dozen people, most sat on the back. The bar counter across the entrance had five stools around it, four of which are occupied.

Glares tried to bore holes into the cyborg's metallic exterior but were all ignored as Franky headed into the vacant stool of the bar counter, the one closest to the entrance. After seating himself as comfortably as he could, the bartender cautiously approached the pirate, noticeably shaking with fear.

"W-What would you want, sir?"

Franky took notice of the trembling bartender, so he tried to speak as politely as he can. "I'll just have the Five-Ton Cola Bomb."

"O-Of course. R-Right away, sir!"

Without a moment to lose, the bartender dashed off into the opposite side of the counter to prepare the named drink.

With the use of the revolving stool, Franky slowly turned his body around and took a more in-depth view of the pub. He took notice of several young women seated at the farthest table accompanied with two to three older men, probably around their mid-fifties. Even though it was still a bit early, around eight in the morning, the women's faces were already flushed with shades of red, possibly due to the empty cans of boozes lying around their table. What was to expect? Not only that he was inside a pub, but he was already in the New World. Heck, even back in Water 7, he commonly found one or two women already wasted despite it being only two hours before noon.

"Here you are, sir. One order of Five-Ton Cola Bomb."

The pirate returned his attention to the bar counter where his order stood in front of him.

 _This... is a **Five-Ton** Cola Bomb?_

What presented itself in front of Franky was not was he was at least expecting. In his mind, there would be a big barrel of sweetened carbonated drink covering his view of the wine displays of the bar, but instead, there was a tall glass of a cola-like drink, emitting out of it was the scent of cinnamon and mint combined.

"What is _this_ pipsqueak?" Franky's voice came out strong.

"That's your order, sir. One serve of the pub's specialty, a Five-Ton Cola Bomb. Made extra minty for the new customer." Unlike his previous demeanour, this time, the bartender oozed with confidence instead of self-awareness. He was standing proudly in front of the apparently shocked cyborg.

"How does _this_ weigh five tons? It's not even a quarter of a ton." The pirate's sceptical voice did not faze the bartender. By this time, the other customers had their eyes on the newcomer.

"The appearance may not, as you say, weigh even a quarter of one ton. However, the experience it'll bring and the sensation you'll be feeling will be more than what you bargained for, sir." Very confident, the bartender pounded on his left chest with his right fist, matched with a slight upward tilt of the young bartender's serious and convincing face. This got the curiosity of the questioning pirate.

"Is that so? Well then, _I'll_ be the judge of that."

The tall glass was then lifted.

…

"Well, what do you know? You're right! This stuff is amazing~!"

The pub immediately got filled with cheers and yells from the other customers. Clinking beer glasses came from the other stools while more cheers emerged from the tables.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Another satisfied customer, huh, Hayato-kun!"

"It's Hayato-kun, after all! His drinks are the best! No, wait. He's the best!"

"Oh, come on, guys. You're too much. I'm just doing my job." The proud bartender was now scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment, coupled with a toothy grin below his closed lids.

"No, they're right." Franky finally put down the now empty glass and turned his attention to the well-praised bartender. "I never had a very satisfying cola since I arrived here in the New World, and this cola you have here is great!" More cheers were yelled that, this time, got the bartender's cheeks to colour in hues of red.

"T-Thank you so much, sir."

"Sorry for my harsh tone earlier, kiddo." The bartender faced the apologising customer, chuckling shyly while scratching his pink cheeks with his right index finger.

"Free cheers for Hayato and his great bartending skills! Hep, Hep-"

"Hooray!" Franky decided to join in the chanting, and together with the others, continued to make the bartender grow pink of embarrassment.

While on the streets outside the noisy building a couple of minutes later, a certain reindeer found himself intrigued by the familiar voice he's been hearing.

"Wait. I know this voice."

"From what I can hear, although I don't have ears, Yohohoho~," the skeleton companion announced, "I believe that's Franky-san's voice."

"What's with the commotion?" Curious, the two turned their heads and approached the worn-out establishment.

…

"We have got to bring the others to that pub we found, Franky-san." Brook suggested to the cyborg walking beside him.

The three were already out of the herbs shop and decided to find more interesting places around the island, like the pub they spent their two hours with.

"Nami-san would love to try their Tangy Quench. It's to die for. Although, I already died once. Yohohohoho~!"

"Yeah. Even Robin-chan would probably love to taste that pub's Seven Islands Surprise." Franky said with confidence, referring to the plate of hors-d'oeuvre that Chopper initially ordered for himself, but was shared among the other two later on.

The trio continued on their way when, from a distance, a mop of green was seen amidst the sea of heads. Chopper took notice of the familiar colour and waved his hands back and forth.

"Zoro!"

* * *

' _I am not going back there. Ever.'_

 _He's still sleep-talking, huh... How long has it been?_

 _Okay... I've been walking around for who knows how long now. What happened to the ship? Did it move or anything?_

 _Right now, I'm still here in the middle of the town while carrying someone I don't know. Seriously, I can just leave him there, but... I don't think I'll be able to sleep peacefully tonight if I did..._

 _Argh! Where is the ship!? And where is Chopper!?_

 _As I continue on my way, I noticed a pair of familiar antlers from a safe distance. And behind it were a walking skeleton with a wig on its skull and a cyborg._

 _Okay. That's Chopper, Brook, and Franky, alright._

 _Thank goodness Chopper's here. Okay. Better approach him now..._

 _..._

 _Wait..._

 _What's going on?_

 _Don't tell me..._

 _..._

"Uh... Huh? Whe... Where am I?"

 _Oh, great. He's awake._


	3. C3 - Memories Best Forgotten

**Author's Note: After a few weeks, here comes the continuation.**

 **Again, I don't own One Piece. Only my original characters and original fruits.**

* * *

 **From where we left off:**

* * *

' _I am not going back there. Ever.'_

 _He's still sleep-talking, huh... How long has it been?_

 _Okay... I've been walking around for who knows how long now. What happened to the ship? Did it move or anything?_

 _Right now, I'm still here in the middle of the town while carrying someone I don't know. Seriously, I can just leave him there, but... I don't think I'll be able to sleep peacefully tonight if I did..._

 _Argh! Where is the ship!? And where is Chopper!?_

 _As I continue on my way, I noticed a pair of familiar antlers from a safe distance. And behind it were a walking skeleton with a wig on its skull and a cyborg._

 _Okay. That's Chopper, Brook, and Franky, alright._

 _Thank goodness Chopper's here. Okay. Better approach him now..._

 _..._

 _Wait..._

 _What's going on?_

 _Don't tell me..._

 _..._

"Uh... Huh? Whe... Where am I?"

 _Oh, great. He's awake._

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Memories Best Forgotten**

* * *

"W-Where am I?"

After his brief slumber, the white-haired teen slowly re-emerged from the land of dreams and into the world of reality. As he slowly opened his eyes, however, he found himself staring at a not-so-expected scenery - the broad back of a certain swordsman.

 _W-Wait. Huh? What's going on?_

Panic immediately sunk into the young lad's face. He scanned his surroundings to see what was going on, and...

...there was nothing going on in Sealock Island that would result in him being treated as luggage. So _why_ was someone carrying him on their shoulder? Did he do something to anger the person? But, he couldn't have. He never met the guy. Or, saw, in this case.

"So, you're finally awake, huh."

The green-haired man's low whisper did not escape his little passenger. The young lad raised his head and was now looking right at the back of a head full of green hair, although what really caught his attention was a glimpse of a set of golden earrings dangling from the carrier's left ear.

"W-Who might you be? And what's the deal with carrying me around!? Let me go!" With that, the smaller male started struggling against the swordsman's shoulder.

"Calm down! I'm the one who bumped over you earlier." Zoro tried to sound collected, although the popping veins on his foreheads, thanks to the agitating struggle of his companion, were proving the very contrary.

"So, just because of that, you're feeding me to the Sea Kings? LET ME GO! I immediately _sink_ when I try to swim! I won't stand a chance! Have mercy!"

The intensifying thrashing of the passenger was _really_ getting on the green-haired man's nerves, that _and_ the fact the lad just jumped into conclusions.

"No one's feeding anyone to those sea creatures!" Zoro's loud voice didn't reach the panicking teen's ears. It did not help with the current situation, actually.

"LET. ME. GO! PLEASE! DO YOU HAVE ANY MERCY IN THIS BODY OF YOURS!?" The pleas kept on coming.

Zoro's just about had it with the noise and the discomfort. So, he attracted the lad's attention the _one way_ he could at that moment.

"Hey!" Zoro swiftly slapped the clothed rear of his passenger.

"W-WHA... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PERVERT!"

Apparently, that got the screaming baggage to fall silent. The white-haired male seized his struggling and whining and tried to glare daggers at the offender. With his cheeks dusted in light pink, the young lad finally tried to talk his way into the swordsman's case. "W-What was that for?"

"To get you to shut up." All the swordsman heard in reply was a loud snort. "I'll put you down, but don't even try of running away," Zoro continued in a low, demanding manner.

"A-And why would I even listen to someone I don't know, eh?" Zoro again slapped the lad's posterior upon hearing the sarcastic comment. "H-Hey! Stop that!"

"Okay then, I'll introduce myself." The swordsman tried to sound calm to the teen's ears, and that he did. "The name's Zoro. And you are?"

"Still not buying this. You know you won't get anything big once you sell _me_ to the black market as a slave. I'm practically a nobody. I'm nothing special." The lad was trying to prove his point. Despite being not in view of the swordsman, the younger male shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

"I don't have any special skills, any proper upbringing, _and_ I don't even know how to swim. Well, to be accurate, I can't swim anymore. I don't know why, though."

The lad just gave himself something to be depressed about. Losing his ability to swim without even knowing the cause left a big question in his life. He was once proud of his swimming skills, but one day, after some twists and turns in his young life, he lost the ability entirely and never figured out how. Due to the uncalled-for walk down memory lane, the lad bent his head down, dispirited, with white curls partially blocking his vision as he gazed on the moving pathway.

 _Yea, I'm just a big nobody. I'm just a waste of your time..._

What the boy said peaked the pirate's interest, although he's not the type who tries to dig deeper into someone else's business.

 **Normally**.

 _Can't swim **anymore**? Don't tell me you're a..._

"Zoro!"

From a safe distance, the green-haired swordsman's thought got interrupted by a call of his name. As he squinted to see the source of the voice, he noticed a clothed reindeer approaching his way. Behind the said animal were a cyborg and an afro-wearing skeleton. From the looks of it, the one approaching was _indeed_ his crewmate/doctor - Chopper, followed by the musician of the crew, Brook, and by the shipwright, Franky. Oh, joy. Just the reindeer he was looking for.

"Chopper." A hint of relief showed visible on the swordsman's face.

Just as the pirate doctor was about to reply, he noticed the little passenger the crewmate had over the taller male's shoulder. "Who's that?"

"Oh, this one?" With a slight slap on the passenger's behind, a sly grin graced on the muscled man's lips. "I'm putting you down now. Better not escape."

"Fine."

The swordsman found the sudden obedience of the passenger both a shock and a relief. With a faint smile on his lips, he slowly bent his back while tightening his hold on the passenger's hips. When he thought that the distance was enough, he loosened his hold on his passenger and guided the latter as the smaller male's feet tried to reach the hard ground.

Upon contact with the soil, Zoro straightened his back while the young lad was trying to dust his shirt off.

Noticing the bipedal reindeer standing beside him, out of shock, the young lad immediately dashed around the former carrier's back, like it was a shield for wild animals. Eyes slightly widened as Zoro was taken aback that the lad did not only follow his order but also decided to hide behind him as if the lad decided to trust him.

"Don't worry. He's someone I know." Zoro was talking to the person hiding behind him.

"He is?" The young lad glanced over to the animal pirate from the pirate shield's back.

"Hey there," Chopper smiled as he started introducing himself. "I'm Chopper. I'm Zoro's crewmate." The doctor slowly walked towards the skinny teen.

The teen retreated his head towards the green-haired shield's back but was given assurance by the older person as Zoro turned around and slightly patted the other's head.

"Come on. Don't be scared."

"O-Okay."

* * *

 _This feels nice..._

Feeling the slight touch of the taller pirate gave the teen's sense of security a small boost, despite meeting the moss-head for the very first time. He felt something warm in his chest, something he thought he'd never feel at all.

"O-Okay."

The young lad tried to stand strong as the bipedal reindeer approached him from the shield's front side.

"Hi. I'm Chopper."

"H-Hi." The teen kept his head down, avoiding the gaze of the doctor.

"Chopper. Can you patch this one up? I kinda bumped into him earlier." Zoro said as he scratched the back of his head.

"W-Wait, what?" The young lad looked up to the taller male in protest. "What do you mean 'patch me up'? I'm fine." A high voice escaped from the teen's mouth.

"Just look at yourself," Zoro was now speaking loudly, clearly demanding the other's obedience. _Hell_ , it was an understatement. Zoro was getting frustrated and the lad was not that dense _not_ to notice it. He glared at the teen who took notice of the sharp look. "Your body's all wounded up. And earlier you kept ordering me to leave you to die. **The hell** I'd do that. Now just **listen** to me and let Chopper patch you up!"

"O-Okay." The teen let his head down in submission and slowly approached the doctor.

Without another word, the pirate immediately reached for his backpack as he placed himself down on the ground. The patient followed suit.

Chopper asked the teen to show him the latter's arms. The other complied. He raised his arms high enough for the doctor to take a closer inspection of them. Zoro squatted in front of the two, keeping his eyes glued to the smaller male while the cyborg and skeleton musician finally reached the three.

"Yohohoho~ Zoro-san."

"Oi, Brook, Franky." The moss-head turned his head around and acknowledged his two crewmates with a nod.

"Zoro, who's that one with Chopper?" Franky pointed towards the reindeer's patient. The young lad felt a flinch upon noticing the other two new arrivals but kept his eyes on the doctor in front of him, avoiding the strangers' gazes.

"Oh yeah. You never said your name." Zoro returned his attention to the younger male. "What is it?"

"Uhm..." The young lad became hesitant about giving them his name. It was normal to him. He had no idea who these people were. What if they were there to look for him? To return him to the hell he barely escaped from? He was really wavering if he would give his name to four strangers, well technically, two strangers, one reanimated skeleton, and one animal, but the idea was there. He was really determined to let no one else except his only friend on the island know his name...

But, he felt no malice.

While on top of that green-haired man, amidst all that whining and struggling, he felt no discomfort. He felt that he actually had fun being carried around by someone older, stronger, more mature than he was. And the doctor in front of him. Despite just meeting the animal, the reindeer immediately wanted to attend to the wounds the lad caused on himself, due to constant running and adventure around the island. He saw a glinting pair of black orbs as the toddler-like doctor prepared to bandage the wounded arms. To him, the doctor really wanted to start making him feel all better.

Something warm started to spark within the white-haired teen. A small smile was about to grace itself around the wounded face.

"It's Y-"

* * *

"Moss-head! What are you doing here? I thought you're with Luffy!"

In anger, Zoro suddenly stood up, with imaginary fire ignited around him proving his irritation. The smoker just _had_ to arrive at the worst possible time - just when he was about to learn his little passenger's name. He turned around, with both hands ready to unsheathe his swords, and glared in anger towards the approaching blonde.

"You shitty cook! You just had to ruin the moment, don't you!?"

"What!?"

And, there it was. The two pirates immediately sent each other glares that could have pierced one another. Blue flames of irritation engulfed Sanji while red flames of the same surrounded Zoro. Sanji was about to swing a kick to the crewmate when he noticed a white-haired teen seating in front of Chopper.

"I-It's you!"

The teen saw that the blonde cook was heading his way, excited. He looked oddly familiar. He really was.

And then, it hit him.

"W-Wha...I-It's..."

Without a moment further, the lad stood up in fright and dashed off towards the opposite direction, not caring if he could bump into other people. Zoro called out to the teen but was left unnoticed. Chopper was left dumbfounded by the change of events. Sanji, thinking that it was his chance, took off and followed the teen, but was pulled over by what the swordsman said.

"Oi, shitty cook. You _know_ that kid?"

Sanji stopped in his tracks. It seemed that some explanations were needed at that point if he were to proceed. He turned around and noticed the expressions Zoro and Chopper were making – shocked, confused, dumbfounded. They were expecting some answers.

The cook took a deep breath in and finally replied.

"Let's get back on the ship. With Robin-chan around, it'll be easier to explain everything."

It seemed all agreed indefinitely. Chopper immediately fixed up his backpack and stood up. Brook, Franky, and Zoro started moving towards the dock. This time, Zoro was actually heading the right direction. Sanji took out a stick of cigarette from his right pocket and slid it into his lips. After sparking it up with the lighter he carried with him, he took off, smoke escaping from his mouth as he walked.

Zoro was in a deep thought. He was still thinking about the younger male. He tried to understand the sudden fright the lad showed after seeing the blonde cook and what the crewmate just said.

' _With Robin-chan around, it'll be easier to explain everything._ '

What does that even mean? Does the two have an idea who that kid was? And what? Zoro continued on walking towards the dock with the other, this time, not straying away from the path, shocking enough.

* * *

"Sanji! I'm hungry. Is there any food?"

Robin walked out from her study upon noticing her captain. With books on her hands, she approached the hungry male and welcomed him back to the ship.

"Sanji's not here, Luffy. He's out on the island." The archaeologist said brightly.

"Aw! I'm hungry! I didn't find anything to eat back there." Luffy slumped on the floor, crossing his arms and legs. The captain was pouting and at the same time, trying to think of something other than food. But being Luffy and all, it was useless. The salty breeze around him was reminding him of fish, after all – fish and their delicious, succulent meat.

"Argh! Sanji! Where are you?" The captain laid flat on the floor and started flailing his arms and legs, whining. The archaeologist found it rather cute at one point as she suddenly smirked in amusement.

"Luffy's just like a toddler. You're really looking for attention."

"No, I'm not," Luffy retorted. "I'm just hungry and waiting for Sanji."

The archaeologist giggled in amusement. Right then, as if by lightning, something popped into her mind.

 _Looking for attention?_

Robin turned her gaze towards the vast open sea. What came to her mind was just how she would describe the big body of water she was staring at – full of possibilities.

 _But... if that was it... that means..._

While Luffy continued his sorry, yet somewhat cute – according to Robin, whining, the female archaeologist entered into a deep thought. She kept her head high while fingers rubbing her chin.

 _It could happen, couldn't it? I haven't heard anything from her after I left them..._

As Luffy was about to notice his crewmate's contemplation, Robin beat Luffy to the punch as she spoke first.

"I have to go to the local library, Luffy. Will you be able to wait for Sanji by yourself?"

"Of course!" A toothy grin appeared on the captain's bright face. "Take care."

"Okay. I'll be off."

Setting her books down on the table nearby, the woman went inside the ship to look for her small backpack. Now with the pink bag on her back, Robin repeated her farewell to the captain and headed off into the bustling town.

* * *

 _Wha-Why was that guy looking for me?_

 _I just got away from those five weird people a few minutes ago. Well, truth be told, there were three weird people, a talking reindeer, and a living dead. But that's beside the point._

 _Anyway, one of them seemed to be looking for me – that blonde guy with the curly brows. What did that guy want from me? I didn't do anything to him. Should that guy first have given me his explanation **before** trying to grab my arm? This doesn't make any sense._

 _Oh well. Right now, thanks to that little catnap, I have enough energy to run back home, that is if I could even call **that** a home. I mean, I've lived in an abandoned house ever since I arrived here in Sealock four years ago. Sure the building needs a lot of work. Windows all shattered and weathered, walls all cracked and is in a dire need for repainting, the ceiling is on the brink of collapse, and gaping nothingness where the doors were supposed to me. But it provides me with a roof over my head during night-time and rainy seasons, and, weird enough, the indoor plumbing has still not given up._

 _My friend keeps on insisting that I move into his place since he lives alone. Not that I don't like the guy's house, in fact, it's actually very decent, a lot decent compared to where I live, but I don't want to impose on him. His help on my food needs is enough. I'll be invading in his life if I ask for more._

 _Just as I was running, I felt my shoulder being pressed down as I suddenly fell down on the ground. I curse myself for running without looking out for other people._

 _As I brushed against my arm, I noticed that someone else was sitting on the floor in front of me, possibly the one I bumped into. So, I turned my head forward._

 _Wow. What a small world. Then again, I'm on a small island..._

"Yuu! I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?"

 _Apparently, I bumped into my friend I was talking about. My supportive friend who has a lot of part-time jobs, including one as a bartender - Hayato._

* * *

 **Author's Note: This took longer than I thought. Although, technically, it could have been longer...**

 **Thanks for the support thus far.**


	4. C4 - The Siren of the Sea

**A/N: Sorry for the super late update.**

 **I had to pick up some motivation to upload this one... And I did... Apparently...**

 **For those who still follow this fan fiction, I thank you so much. *bows to stomach level.**

* * *

 **From where we left off:**

* * *

 _Wha-Why was that guy looking for me?_

 _I just got away from those five weird people a few minutes ago. Well, truth be told, there were three weird people, a talking reindeer, and a living dead. But that's beside the point._

 _Anyway, one of them seemed to be looking for me – that blonde guy with the curly brows. What did that guy want from me? I didn't do anything to him. Should that guy first have given me his explanation **before** trying to grab my arm? This doesn't make any sense._

 _Oh well. Right now, thanks to that little catnap, I have enough energy to run back home, that is if I could even call **that** a home. I mean, I've lived in an abandoned house ever since I arrived here in Sealock four years ago. Sure the building needs a lot of work. Windows all shattered and weathered, walls all cracked and is in a dire need for repainting, the ceiling is on the brink of collapse, and gaping nothingness where the doors were supposed to me. But it provides me with a roof over my head during night-time and rainy seasons, and, weird enough, the indoor plumbing has still not given up._

 _My friend keeps on insisting that I move into his place since he lives alone. Not that I don't like the guy's house, in fact, it's actually very decent, a lot decent compared to where I live, but I don't want to impose on him. His help on my food needs is enough. I'll be invading in his life if I ask for more._

 _Just as I was running, I felt my shoulder being pressed down as I suddenly fell down on the ground. I curse myself for running without looking out for other people._

 _As I brushed against my arm, I noticed that someone else was sitting on the floor in front of me, possibly the one I bumped into. So, I turned my head forward._

 _Wow. What a small world. Then again, I'm on a small island..._

"Yuu! I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?"

 _Apparently, I bumped into my friend I was talking about. My supportive friend who has a lot of part-time jobs, including one as a bartender - Hayato._

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - The Siren of the Sea**

* * *

"Ha-Hayato..."

"Yuu! Where were you? I went to your place this morning and you were gone already."

Amidst the crowd, two young men stood, unmoved by the moving current of people around them. One of them, dressed in a light green shirt paired with a fairly worn-out navy shorts, had his eyes on the other – apparently worried. The other who was in tattered, grey top and black shorts was somewhat trying to avoid the obvious stare.

"Y-You can have an idea."

"Hm..." Even without the need to scan the other's figure, Hayato may already have an idea. Knowing Yuu for four years sure gave him some advantages – for him.

"Let me guess. The usual."

"Yup. The usual." Hayato sighed at the response. _Not again._

As the two was about to turn their heads towards the crowd, Yuu's protesting stomach caught the friend's attention, Hayato's eyebrows raised.

"Y-You haven't eaten yet, I suppose."

"Sorry." Yuu scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I can't say I was not expecting this, actually."

Though that said, on the back of his mind, Hayato already had a long sermon prepared for this occasion – Yuu missing out on breakfast. _Again_. Yet, no matter how many times the white-haired male had done this, Hayato can't just find it in himself to actually scold the friend. The guy had done so much already to look for paying jobs, but even before a week in the new job is over out, Yuu gets fired for a reason both guys can't figure out, even until now. So, without telling the other - to spare his pride and evade his stubbornness, Hayato decided to work for both their shares of sustenance - that includes Yuu's breakfast.

"Come on. Let's buy some ingredients first. I'll cook you your breakfa-" Hayato paused as he gazed into the sky for some reason. "Brunch. Your brunch."

"Do I have a say in this?"

"What do you think?"

 _No._

So, without another word, the two started walking.

* * *

"Why do you have to buy a lot of stuff on every island?"

Losing his arms is something Usopp wanted to happen the least. After all, it's because of his arms - and his eyes, that his bounty skyrocketed, even surpassing that of Franky's. And the cyborg didn't take it well at first actually. To Usopp, however, having a very high value is something he'd not want for himself – but what can he do at this point.

Anyway.

Usopp has been accompanying Nami as the female navigator shopped the stores they entered to dry. He's holding so many bags right now that he can't even scratch the itch on his nose. The combined weight won't even let him raise his arms. Poor guy.

"Be-cause..." Nami purposely prolonged the word. "We can't just go back to any island that we'd passed through. It'll mess up the log pose."

"I see what you mean. But that doesn't answer _this_." Usopp raised his voice towards the end and tried – take note, _tried_ , to lift his abused arms.

"Every island has its own trend, especially here in the New World. As a woman, it's my responsibility to participate and experience as many as I can." Nami's eyes turned to stars at this point, earning a sweatdrop from the sniper.

While the two were walking towards the ship's direction, Nami, still caught in her delusions, didn't notice a man suddenly bumped her as both went their opposite ways. After hearing a faint husky ' _sorry_ ', it was only then when she returned from her daydreams. After a few seconds, she realised...

 _My pocket's empty!_

Nami instantaneously turned around to catch her assailant. When she immediately noticed a suspicious man walking away, Nami immediately ran after him, shocking the left-behind Usopp.

"Oi!"

From not afar, the man she was catching bumped into two teen males. Furious, he shouted profanities at them and then continued walking at a fast pace. Nami was almost past the two assaulted teens when she shouted at the thief.

"Hang on."

Nami heard the soft yet stern order of one of the teens. As she trailed her eyes on the male, Nami noticed a familiar orange object on one of the teen's bandaged hands.

"That's... My wallet."

"Here." Without further ado, the teen tossed over to the female her stolen item. As it landed on Nami's waiting palms, the teen then continued off, trailed by his companion soon after.

"Wait a minute." The two teens stopped.

"Why'd you do that?" Nami found the unexpected kindness to be a mystery. She wanted answers, so she had to ask.

"Do you have to have reason in doing something you think is right?" The teen-in-concern answered back, not turning around to face Nami.

At this point, Usopp managed to catch up to Nami, witnessing the questioning. His panting broke the building tension.

"Nami, what's going on?"

"What's your name?" Nami tuned out Usopp for a while. She had pressing matters to attend to.

"Yuu. Now can I go?"

"Not until I thank you properly." Nami was serious.

"Don't need it." Yuu continued to walk for a few paces until his rumbling stomach begged to differ, catching Nami's, Usopp's, and Hayato's ears.

"Looks like your stomach has other plans." Nami was plotting at this point, she already knew how to catch the male's attention.

"S-Shut up." Yuu turned around and glared at the smirking navigator, embarrassed. Nami had her weight shifted to the right, her left hand resting on her left hip, and her wallet being waived by her right hand, tormenting the hungry male.

"Are you sure?" Nami was noticing the building redness on the saviour's cheeks.

 _It's cute..._

 _"_ Hmph." Before his stomach could protest some more, he grabbed a hold of Hayato's arm, murmuring a few curses before dashing off.

 _I wasn't able to thank him..._

* * *

The island's library was considerably packed with books. Well, _duh_. It's a library.

The numerous literature books within the library, however, were not Robin's current agenda, though she managed to skim a few of them along the way.

Typical _._

As she reached a somewhat dimly lit section of the library, courtesy of an old glass window along the wall, her eyes began to wonder, looking at the various places where she can start her investigation. The area had thick dust atop everything in it – the floor, the newspaper shelves, even the sole table and chair positioned beside them.

 _The librarian must have_ really _let this place go..._

She knelt in front of a pile of newspapers a few feet from her and started searching through them, looking for certain keywords that could make or break her theory.

As she finished one pile, her face continued to frown.

Nothing.

She decided to turn her attention to the next few stacks beside her.

No dice.

As she was about to stand up and look for a new shelf to cling her hands on, a soft voice from behind grasped her attention, turning herself around to see the source.

It was the librarian.

The archaeologist studied the physical features of the attendant. The librarian can already pass off as Robin's very own grandmother – the latter had skinny arms both folded behind her, the wrinkly appearance added with the full head of white hair confirmed that the librarian was probably too old, too feeble, or both, to clean the dusty section all by herself.

"Is there something you're looking for here, sweetie?"

"Yes. I'm looking for a newspaper about pirates."

"Be a little more specific, sweetie." The librarian replied with a smile.

"This is the New World. Newspapers about pirates are basically everywhere – from those popular ones like the Yonkou, possibly down to lowly pirates who have just started and were lucky enough to enter these treacherous waters."

"I'm looking for newspaper articles of the pirate known as 'The Siren'."

The librarian softly jerked; Robin did not notice it.

"I'm looking for articles about Teartoga Kana."

The librarian slowly bowed her head, earning curious stares from Robin. After a while, she raised her head up again, smiling innocently at the archaeologist.

"Kana-sama, huh..." _-sama?_

"Come." Without batting an eye, the older one turned around and started pacing herself quite slowly.

"You won't find anything regarding Kana-sama there. We removed every article with her in it years ago. I still have, however, quite a few of them inside my office."

 _Removed articles about her? What for?_

"Excuse me, but..." The librarian turned to the wondering Robin.

"Who are you?"

"I'm just your average old lady, tasked as the librarian of this place. But years ago, I was a slave. A slave of those hideous, corrupt Tenryuubito." The old lady rolled her short sleeve up to her shoulders, revealing a small print of a red circle with three triangles over it, resembling an imprint of a dragon's claw on the old lady's skin.

"It was Kana-sama and her crew who saved me and gave me freedom."

"But if you're here, then where's Kana?" An agitated Robin asked.

"She's already dead."

 _What?_

"She died on this very island a few years ago, fighting against some of Kaidou's subordinates."

* * *

"Oi, Luffy. Where's Robin?"

"S-Sanji!"

Not answering Zoro's question, the captain immediately wrapped himself around the cook, crying himself for food.

"Sanji! I'm hungry!"

"Weren't you in town to look for food?"

"Yeah, but I'd rather have your cooking instead." Even if he doesn't admit it, it made him smile a bit – _a bit,_ that his cooking was still preferred by his one-of-a-kind captain. Sighing to mask his growing grin, he used his arms and legs to throw Luffy off of him, then proceeded to the kitchen soon after, leaving his captain with Zoro, Brook, Franky, and Chopper.

Not a moment sooner, Nami and Usopp got back on the ship. The long-nosed couldn't be happier as he immediately plunged himself down to Sunny's grassy deck, Nami's bags long forgotten on the space beside him. Luffy was about to continue his whining when the kitchen door banged open, out came Sanji with a tray of newly-cooked meals for his captain with a black hole for a stomach.

The hungry – as always, captain stretched his hands to the silver tray and started digging in as soon as the object came to his face. While feasting, Zoro reopened the postponed conversation.

"So? Where's Robin?"

"Rwobeem?" Luffy asked with food clearly inside his mouth. After receiving a swift slap from Nami, all food blocking Luffy's mouth came down his stomach with a quick gulp.

"She went down the ship right after I came back." Luffy returned his eyes to the remaining food before anyone can continue asking him.

"Well then. Care to explain what's going on, you shitty cook?" Zoro had his back on the wall, glaring on the crewmate.

"I guess there's no other choice." Sanji scratched the back of his head in defeat.

All eyes, other than Luffy's, came raining down onto the cook as he started.

"That kid from earlier was so interesting that Robin-chan asks me to go after him."

"Huh? Why?" It was Chopper's time to throw in questions.

"That kid's a Devil Fruit User..."

 _A Devil Fruit User?_

 _"_ And he has no idea about it."

"What do you mean?" Now, it's Franky's turn.

"When I was chasing him, he found himself in a dark alley. There, he unconsciously used his powers on me, and when he did..." The cook took out his arms in front of him and imitated squeezing something, to feel his own two hands. "It's as if he thought there was someone else protecting him, not realising that he did it all by himself."

"Now that you mentioned it, he _did_ say about losing his ability to swim for no apparent reason." Zoro voiced out.

"Anyway, we have to find him. I wasn't finished patching him up. He still had a lot of bruises that need to be checked out."

"Say..." Nami disrupted Chopper's thoughts and began asking. "What does this kid look like?"

"He was wearing tattered clothing, his hair is white, though due to the dirt it might be not that obvious, and he's downright skinny," Sanji answered.

"Hey, Nami. Doesn't that fit that kid who took back your wallet earlier?" Usopp's remark earned Nami's and the others' attention. Well, save for Luffy. Then again...

"You've seen him?" Zoro and Sanji immediately jumped at Usopp and Nami, startling them.

Meanwhile, a soft thud came Luffy's way as he set down his now empty bowl of... whatever it was in there.

Satisfied, obvious with his now _inflated_ stomach, he let out a loud well-deserved belch.

"My~~. That hits the spot. Say, everyone." Everyone had their eyes turned to their _respected_ captain.

"I kinda like this kid. It's decided. I want this kid to join our crew. Sanji. Zoro. Find him."

"EEEHHH?"

 _ALREADY?_

 _"_ W-Wait a minute, Luffy!" Luffy turned his eyes to the panicking navigator.

"You haven't even met this kid. Are you sure you'd go with this?"

"Well, everyone already met this kid, right? I want to meet him, too."

"But inviting him _already_?"

"Why? What's your problem with it?"

As much as Nami wanted to protest, she wasn't able to think of anything. In fact, she still wanted to thank him for helping her earlier. And besides...

Luffy already said he's making that kid, Yuu, one of them. And from experience, it's bound to happen.

The captain found Nami's silence a 'yes'. So, with a grin, he ordered.

"Everyone. Find this kid and make him join our crew!"

* * *

" _You have to get out of here. Aren't you a wanted pirate? If they find you and your crewmates on the island, you won't be able to protect Kana-sama's legacy. Go! "_

All of a sudden, navy soldiers started showing up across Sealock. Robin and her new-found friend whom she came to know as Klara were busy sharing information with each other when loud shouts and screams from the other side of the library's wall about a navy warship landing onto the island reached their ears. Knowing from the archaeologist herself that she is a wanted pirate, the former slave asked Robin to escape the library through a secret passage the library had. It connected with another exit right at the port through an underground tunnel. It must have been a _weird_ library back in the past if the place had _something_ like a hidden tunnel.

Robin was already on the other side of the tunnel, but she can't find a timing to move out without exposing the existence of the passage since the exit was in the line of sight of approaching soldiers. From where she hid, there were around six to ten soldiers walking towards her hiding spot.

Crossing her arms in an X position, she thought that a little commotion should help her open up a path. So, she decided to knock the soldiers unconscious.

"Cuarenta Fleur."

The ten soldiers suddenly came to a halt, shocked to see four arms sprouting from every one of them – two from their collarbones and two more from their backs, all totalling to forty limbs. From one soldier's view, the two arms in front of him reached over his shoulders, connecting themselves to the other two on his back, also stretching to meet the ones from the front.

"Clutch."

As Robin closed her palms into two balls of fists, each of the arms she sprouted onto every soldier connected with their counterparts and bent the soldiers' back, a faint sound of cracking bones heard in the process. As the ten soldiers fell onto the ground unconscious, Robin snuck out of the exit and ran towards the ship, completely concealing the passageway before she left.

 _This is bad._


	5. C5 - A Scattered Crew

**It's taking me quite long to conclude the Sealock arc, since ideas keeping pouring in. I'll try to finish it within the next few chapters.**

 **Please bear with me.**

* * *

 **From where we left off:**

* * *

" _You have to get out of here. Aren't you a wanted pirate? If they find you and your crewmates on the island, you won't be able to protect Kana-sama's legacy. Go! "_

All of a sudden, navy soldiers started showing up across Sealock. Robin and her new-found friend whom she came to know as Klara were busy sharing information with each other when loud shouts and screams from the other side of the library's wall about a navy warship landing onto the island reached their ears. Knowing from the archaeologist herself that she is a wanted pirate, the former slave asked Robin to escape the library through a secret passage the library had. It connected with another exit right at the port through an underground tunnel. It must have been a _weird_ library back in the past if the place had _something_ like a hidden tunnel.

Robin was already on the other side of the tunnel, but she can't find a timing to move out without exposing the existence of the passage since the exit was in the line of sight of approaching soldiers. From where she hid, there were around six to ten soldiers walking towards her hiding spot.

Crossing her arms in an X position, she thought that a little commotion should help her open up a path. So, she decided to knock the soldiers unconscious.

"Cuarenta Fleur."

The ten soldiers suddenly came to a halt, shocked to see four arms sprouting from every one of them – two from their collarbones and two more from their backs, all totalling to forty limbs. From one soldier's view, the two arms in front of him reached over his shoulders, connecting themselves to the other two on his back, also stretching to meet the ones from the front.

"Clutch."

As Robin closed her palms into two balls of fists, each of the arms she sprouted onto every soldier connected with their counterparts and bent the soldiers' back, a faint sound of cracking bones heard in the process. As the ten soldiers fell onto the ground unconscious, Robin snuck out of the exit and ran towards the ship, completely concealing the passageway before she left.

 _This is bad._

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - A Scattered Crew**

* * *

Carrying bags full of ingredients in one hand, Hayato continued to walk a few paces in front of his hungry friend, the confrontation with a certain orange-haired navigator earlier already behind him.

"I don't need to tell you this, but you're eating at the place tonight. Got that?"

"Yes, mum." Hayato glared at the companion for that comment, sending chills to Yuu.

"You know you really have to help yourself with that phobia of yours." Hayato swiftly breaks the cold air.

"Why bother? As long as I'm with you, it'll be fine, right?"

"I'm serious about this, you know..."

"So am I."

The two continued on their way when several people before them suddenly turned around and dashed away. As more and more people came running their way, Yuu noticed several men in white uniform behind the running men.

 _Oh, you've got to be kidding me._

With a quick tug of Hayato's free arm, Yuu began running away together with the people around him. Hayato got the idea but was confused.

"Why are we running? What's going on?"

"The Marines are here." Cold sweat came running down Yuu's face.

"I see. But why are we also running? It's not like you pissed them off, right?"

A silent Yuu came Hayato's way. When he looked back at the friend, the bartender noticed the scared expression his friend was wearing. It was not the usual face he had when thugs came running after him, it was worse. Yuu's dilating orbs matched with his rapid breathing convinced Hayato that something was off.

"Yuu... "

"Sorry, but we have to get away from here for now."

For the sake of his friend, Hayato decided to listen. His curiosity would have to be put aside for the time being.

* * *

Several more marine soldiers were approaching her side of the street, and just when the ship was within distance. Robin knew that once her cover gets blown, a rain of bullets will surely follow. So, she had to take cover once more - this time, behind some stacked old barrels placed in a narrow alley.

As the armed men passed through her hiding spot without any problem, she immediately dashed off to the opposite road, leaving nothing but dust on her tracks. With her backpack over her right shoulder, she continued dashing towards Thousand Sunny, only to notice that the others were about to disembark the vessel.

"What's going on?"

"Oh! Robin!" The archaeologist was greeted first by her goofily smiling captain, his hand waving for effect.

"Luffy, why are you guys leaving the ship?"

"He wants us to look for that kid you're interested in." Nami welcomed the friend back.

 _That kid?_

"Look for him? But now's a bad time."

"Whaddya mean?" Usopp eyed the archaeologist as he descended the big ship.

"Marine soldiers are swarming around the island. We have to get out here."

"Marine soldiers? Then we can just kick their butts while we're looking for that kid." Zoro seemed confident. Well, he _is._

"It's not that simple." Robin was panicking. She was out of her usual calm and collected character.

"What do you mean? It's not as if there's an Admiral with them, right?" Nami responded.

"There isn't..."

"See? What's there to-" Robin cut Nami off.

"But this one's no ordinary Vice Admiral."

Everyone, even Luffy, turned silent. Is this Vice Admiral _that_ dangerous that Robin wanted the crew to depart as quickly as possible?

"We have to leave the island. We can come back once they're gone."

"No!" Luffy jumped off the ship, landing beside the archaeologist.

"I'm looking for this kid everyone's talking about. We're not leaving the island just yet."

"Luffy..."

"Franky! Stir the ship away to somewhere we can hide it. Zoro, Robin, you two go ahead and look for him!"

"But, Luffy..." Nami didn't finish her sentence once her captain locked his serious stares with her.

 _You got me_.

"Okay! Franky, stir the boat to that tall cliff we passed by yesterday!"

Nami turned around and went back to the ship, the others not mentioned followed behind her. Franky immediately proceeded to the helm of his masterpiece, waiting for the navigator's signal.

"Luffy, you stay with us for a while until we arrive at the new docking area. It'll be a problem if you guys can't find the ship later. Zoro and Robin can go ahead." Nami advised the captain.

"In that case, I'll stay behind. Someone has to wait until Jinbei and the others catch up, after all." Sanji removed his cigarette from his mouth as went back down onto the dock.

"Okay." Nami agreed. "Luffy, come on!"

"You guys better find him quick, got that?" Luffy ordered as he stretched his arms towards the main deck of the ship.

"Count on it!" Zoro started running towards the island, leaving the confused Robin. Luffy then called onto the standing archaeologist.

"Don't you worry, Robin! I'm sure we'll find that kid and make him one of us! Shishishishi~~!"

Any ounce of fright got washed out of the female's mind. She trusts the younger captain, after all. As a small grin etched itself onto Robin's face, she replied with a faint nod and dashed off to follow the already gone swordsman. Sanji stood on the dock with his hands inside the pockets of his pants as the ship turned around on Luffy's orders as it headed to the new docking area.

* * *

When the neighbouring Wano Kingdom got liberated from Kaido's hands, pirates once afraid to approach the island of the samurais due to the Yonkou's influence flocked in. Of course, once they found out about this, the Marines took this as an opportunity to arrest some of the low life vermin that caused disturbances in the New World. Being relatively close to Wano gave the Marines enough reason to also scout Sealock for pirates who may have run away from the neighbouring island.

The moment the Marines arrived at their side of the island early that morning, pirates present within the area slowly prepared themselves for battle. Swords were half-sheathed and guns were half-loaded, preparing to strike, that is, until, from the side of the Marines, a woman of average height, with white long hair tied in a ponytail-like fashion, marched down from the warship towards the unruly welcoming committee, leaving behind the Navy soldiers.

Draped over her shoulders was a Marine coat with white epaulettes, matching the colour of her own white long-sleeved shirt which was left hanging out. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbow, revealing her white skin. She had red eyes on the left while black colour dominated her right, both hidden behind a pair of rectangular rimless glasses. With a face free from wrinkles, she approached the pirates caught in a standstill, eyes shut once she got close enough. As she slowly opened her eyes, shining swords were seen rushing towards her being. Even before the pirates can come a metre closer, she propelled herself using her white high heels, charging towards the enemies without fear. With the five inch heels of her footwear as weapons, she viciously 'stamped' the approaching men, each instantly falling back on impact. She spun around, kicking every pirate within her personal space. Once the circle around her gradually widened, some pirates began recognising the white woman, shouting the lady's name before running towards the town. Those who found the name familiar followed.

That explains the current river of people that's drowning Yuu and his bartending friend Hayato. The normal crowd of Sealock was enough to cause a stampede, but the twist in events made things worse.

"Yuu! If by any chance we'd get separated, just hide, okay?"

"B-But, how about you?"

"I'd be fine. We'll meet at my place once everything has settled down, okay?"

Though worried and doubtful, Yuu had no choice but to listen to the bartender. At least, they had some sort of plan in mind if ever they get separated. As Yuu faintly nodded and uttered a soft _okay_ , he and Hayato continued on their way.

Not long after the two agreed on their plan, several men came running between them, making Yuu's grip on Hayato's arm come loose, and carrying the poor bartender away from his friend.

"Don't worry about me! Just hide, you hear me!?" Yuu clearly heard his fading friend's voice despite the noise.

 _O-Okay! You better be safe!_

* * *

"Zoro, do you know what this kid looks like?"

"Aa! I met him earlier and asked Chopper to tend to his injuries, right before he dashed off after seeing curly brows." Zoro _may_ or _may not_ have said it with venom seeping right out of his tongue.

The two pirates continued charging towards the sea of running men, until, from their side, a teen in light green was thrown out from the angry crowd, landing onto Zoro's back. With a quick thud, Zoro immediately threw the teen beside him, shouting a quick 'That hurts, damn it!' Robin knelt down to the dishevelled young man, asking if he was okay.

"I-I'm okay. Thanks."

But before Robin can reply, the swordsman cut her off saying that he'll be going ahead and left. Reminded of their mission, Robin quickly stood up, smiled gently at the kid and uttered a soft 'Sorry, but we have to go now' before running after the crewmate.

The puzzled Hayato was left alone on the busy street, dumbfounded on what just happened. That is until he suddenly remembered that he just got separated from his friend. Hayato quickly stood up from his position and turned his heels to the opposite side of the road, to where the running men were heading to, and ran.

 _Yuu would better have hidden now. We can find each other later, after all._

* * *

Following the plan, though against his wishes, Yuu ran inside a small house along the road. If Hayato'd found out that he didn't listen to the bartender, the latter would get quite angry with him, and Yuu didn't want to be of burden more than he thinks he is.

As he opened the wooden door, he found the house to be empty – and in a little need of a make-over, actually. Though, it may probably still be better than his so-called _home_.

 _Once things settled, I think I'd consider moving here. That is, if no one lives here anymore... and the indoor plumbing still works._

He quickly positioned himself into a corner and flipped a nearby dining table to use it as some sort of shield. Luckily the table had nothing on top of it, so Yuu was able to hastily set it up. He laid himself down on the floor to make sure his head doesn't stick out of the table.

Little did he know that there was already a marine soldier searching the insides of the house, who _may_ have noticed someone getting in.

* * *

"I'll go ahead now!"

The cliff side was diagonally inclined with a pointed edge. Even before the ship got to perfectly position itself onto its new hiding area, Luffy immediately launched itself into the rocky surface, leaving his crew behind. But before Luffy can even start running, a lone figure came running towards them, somewhat tired.

"Luffy! Who's that?" Nami noticed as the ship finally came to a halt beside the cliff side, facing the sea.

 _Isn't that..._

"Oi! Aren't you Hayato?"

The lone figure stopped along the cliff side, near to where Luffy was standing. As the man quickly caught his breath, he noticed the cyborg on the helm of the ship below him.

"F-Franky-san!"


	6. C6 - The Lady Wears High Heels

**From where we left off:**

* * *

"I'll go ahead now!"

The cliff side was diagonally inclined with a pointed edge. Even before the ship got to perfectly position itself onto its new hiding area, Luffy immediately launched itself into the rocky surface, leaving his crew behind. But before Luffy can even start running, a lone figure came running towards them, somewhat tired.

"Luffy! Who's that?" Nami noticed as the ship finally came to a halt beside the cliff side, facing the sea.

 _Isn't that..._

"Oi! Aren't you Hayato?"

The lone figure stopped along the cliff side, near to where Luffy was standing. As the man quickly caught his breath, he noticed the cyborg on the helm of the ship below him.

"F-Franky-san!"

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - The Lady Wears High Heels**

* * *

"F-Franky-san!"

"Franky, you know that guy?" Nami turned her attention to the cyborg holding the helm.

"Yes. He's a bartender at the pub I, Chopper, and Brook went to earlier." Nami nodded, taking in what Franky have just said.

"Hayato-kun! Why do you look so frantic?" Chopper spoke as he approached Nami and the cyborg.

"Chopper-san! You're here, too?" Hayato looked beside the reindeer and he noticed another of his earlier clients, Brook, and his long-nosed companion.

 _Wow. What a bunch._

 _"_ What's wrong, Hayato-san?" Brook rephrased the doctor's question.

"Ma-Marines are all over the island."

"Yes, we know that," Luffy answered the man beside him. "What about it?"

"Is that pub you're working on in bad terms with the Marines or something?" The cyborg asked.

"N-No. It's not that. The pub's fine." Hayato still hasn't returned to breathing normally.

 _So, what's the problem, then?_

"My friend." Okay, he's now back to normal. "He's running away from the Marines."

"Y-Your friend?" Nami unconsciously spoke, though soft enough to be missed by the men on top of the cliff. "H-Hey, you!" Hayato turned his attention to the female navigator.

 _Wait a minute. This woman looks oddly familiar..._

 _"_ Are you that guy with Yuu earlier?" Franky and Luffy turned their heads to Nami, and so did the other three.

 _Yuu? Who is she referring to?_ They all thought the same thing.

 _Why does this woman know Yuu?_

 _Earlier?_

 _Don't tell me..._

"Ah!" Hayato shouted in shock, pointing his right index to the woman below her. "You're that woman earlier who almost got her purse stolen!" It's all coming back to the guy.

"Where's Yuu?" Still, Franky and the others felt a bit left out.

"I. Told. You." Hayato spoke with stress in every word. "We ran away once we found out the Marines are here. We got separated in the island due to the crowd."

Luffy broke the conversation. "Oi, Nami! Who is this _Yuu_ guy you guys keep talking about?" He raised his pitch upon saying the guy's name.

"I forgot to tell you guys. Yuu's probably the name of that kid Robin's looking for." Hayato's ears perked up after hearing Yuu's name.

 _Someone's looking for him?_

"That's good!" Luffy instantly snatched Hayato by the elbow and dragged him off with him. "I'm borrowing this guy, Nami!"

"Oi, Luffy!" Nami's hollers fell on deaf ears. Luffy already covered quite a distance.

"L-Luffy-san, was it?" On the way, Hayato started talking. "W-Where are you taking me?"

In that moment, Luffy started to carry Hayato by the hip, the bartender shouting and screaming in sheer shock and fright as the rubber man stretched his free left arm towards the nearest roof, lifting themselves off the ground.

While in mid-air, Hayato's eyes started to water in total fear, matched with his screams of horror. Luffy brushed the baggage's voice with a 'Shishishi' laugh, before answering the bartender.

"You know what this Yuu kid looks like. I'm taking you with me so that we can find him and make him one of us!"

After that short high jump, Luffy and Hayato landed onto a roof, the bartender still shaking beside the pirate, though what Luffy said registered in his mind.

"Make him _what?"_

"One of us. Be my crewmember."

* * *

"Put your hands in the air!"

Caught.

Not expecting the sudden command, Yuu stood up from his spot behind the table slowly, his hands raised over his head. His scared expression completely hidden from the man in white.

Before the white-haired male entered his supposed hideout, a marine soldier already got inside, searching the place for possible hiding pirates, not expecting that _someone_ would hide there while he was searching the other rooms of the building. Pointing his rifle towards the back of the teen, the soldier ordered Yuu to walk away from the table and to head towards the spacious corner in front of them. As the scared Yuu slowly obeyed the command, his hands were immediately brought down to his back, chained with handcuffs once he arrived at the corner he's directed at. He was then turned around, now looking at his captor.

"You're a pirate, aren't you?"

"N-No, I'm not!" Yuu was stuttering in pure fright. "I'm not!"

"No use denying it! You're clearly a pirate!" The soldier did not listen. "Why then would you hide from us if you weren't one?"

"I... I..."

He can't answer. Yuu turned his head towards the dusty floor, avoiding to look at the soldier.

"That's it. I'm bringing you with me."

"W-What?"

* * *

A lot of marine soldiers were already deployed to the town, yet there were still a lot left standing around the warship.

Well, what's to expect? There was a Vice Admiral they had to surround, though she was currently sitting on one of those portable, foldable chairs one would see on sandy beaches, completely stretching her legs and yawning as if she was on a long vacation rather than being on an official Marine mission. She continued to fan herself with a white fan, a fan big enough to actually fan more than just herself, but she chose not to.

From a distance, she noticed one of her soldiers bringing with him a white-haired captive, the latter apparently cuffed with his arms behind his tattered clothing. Anticipating that the soldier would report to her, she straightened herself – closed her big fan shut and put it down onto the chair as she stood up and waited for the underling to approach her.

"Vice Admiral Candella! I brought with me a pirate!" The soldier saluted to the female superior.

"Sweetie, do you really have to announce to me that you brought back with you a pirate?"

She had a point.

She bent down, facing his underling on eye level. Despite her somewhat lax appearance, her shirt was tight enough for the soldier to not get distracted by her two _airbags._

"N-No, Vice Admiral!" The soldier answered, stuttering.

 _Then why did he have to bring me to her?_ Yuu deadpanned at his captor.

Finding it amusing, Candella softly grinned at the soldier's stammering. She straightened her back and turned her attention to the supposed pirate. She fixed her stares on the lad's white hair, his pair of red orbs, his tattered clothing. _This kid's in a need for new clothing_ , she thought. Before she was able to completely turn her back against the two, as if remembering something on the spot, she returned her orbs to the captive Yuu, shocking him. She once again fixed her dual-coloured eyes to the supposed pirate.

 _He looks oddly familiar..._

"W-What are you looking at?" Yuu broke Candella's forming concentration. His shaking figure was not missed by the lady marine.

"Oh, nothing, dearie~." Not mindful of the fact that the lad was currently labelled as a pirate, a small smile plastered itself onto Candella's face before she completely turned her back away from the two.

But before she can utter a command, sounds of chaos came closer to where they were. Curious, she walked a few paces forward and tried to take a look at the situation.

From a distance, a green-haired swordsman was swinging two swords, each one on both his two hands, easily knocking down her Marine underlings that got in his way. Beside the rampaging slasher ran a black-haired woman whose outfit was lacking sleeves on both sides. The woman had her arms in a peculiar X position, both palms facing upward. Breathing through her nose, she had an idea on who the two are.

"My, my, my. What's Roronoa Zoro and Nico Robin doing here at Sealock?" Hearing the woman say Zoro's name got Yuu's ears to twitch.

 _Z-Zoro-san's here?_

Yuu softly took a step forward, not alerting his captors. When he saw a familiar mop of green hair making its way towards him and the Marines, his inner self jumped for joy – and started to cry for some reason.

 _Zoro-san! Get me out of here!_

As Zoro and Robin finally got close enough, they noticed a white-haired woman wearing a Marine coat standing behind a row of equipped soldiers, their rifles directly aimed at them. Beside her was a familiar teen of the same hair colour.

 _The brat's here!_

"I'm gonna have to ask you to give us back that brat," Zoro said without batting an eyelash, his right sword completely directed towards Yuu.

 _Zoro-san! So you really_ are _here for me!_

"Non, non, non~." She tauntingly wagged her finger at the swordsman as she slowly wrapped her arms around the captive beside her, the lad's nose completely buried into the lady's chest. "This kid's ours now." Unknown to her, Yuu was beet red - for another reason.

 _C-Can't... breathe..._

With a sharp 'tsk', Zoro lowered his body, his knee bent forward, as if he's ready to strike. "You asked for it." Then he thrust himself towards the wall of soldiers, knocking them down quickly with one quick slash using the blunt side of his sword.

Now that he can clearly see the female officer and Yuu, he repeated his demand.

"Not a chance, Roronoa."

"Well, you can," Candella released the lad from her chest and faced the waiting opponent. Yuu stumbled towards his captor, the latter grabbing the lad's arms for good measure.

The woman in white slowly adjusted her cape, making it flutter slightly as she continued her sentence.

"If you can take me down."

"Who do you think you're talking to, eh?"

And with that, Zoro rushed towards the opponent.

* * *

"If you can take me down."

 _Just who is this woman?_

"Who do you think you're talking to, eh?"

 _Z-Zoro-san..._

 _And then, Zoro-san rushed to attack the Vice Admiral. Zoro-san swings his right sword to the left and the opponent simply bends her knees down, her eyes completely locked onto Zoro-san. With her arms spread out like wings of an eagle, she then thrusts her right palm towards the swordsman's abdomen, her fingers pointing towards the ground. Zoro-san uses his left sword to block the woman's assault, the sound of metal vibrating radiating around them._

 _"_ Not bad, Roronoa. You might just be as good as what they tell me you are. _" Candella-san smirks at the swordsman towering over her._

"You haven't seen nothing yet."

 _Candella-san immediately steps back from her position, now standing upright and her arms in front of her, forming an L formation - her left arm facing downwards with the palm open and her right arm facing sideways, the palm positioned as if holding a champagne glass. She looks a bit high-class, now that I think about it. Her posture is also a bit cool - completely oozing with confidence. But Zoro-san's form also cool on its own, his two swords now diagonally pointed away from him and towards the concrete floor, his body bent forward as he placed his right knee in front of him. His grin was not leaving his face._

 _Zoro-san quickly launches himself towards Candella-san, sending one slash after the other with his two swords alternatingly. Despite the continuous attacks, however, it seems like Candella-san just continues on dodging, completely avoiding Zoro-san's every move. She was not making any attack after that first failed attempt. As Zoro-san tries to slash her again, this time, horizontally and from the right, the female officer swiftly bends and rushes towards Zoro-san's opening - his abdomen, and puts a lot of power on her right palm as she thrusts it again onto the swordsman. Not able to defend against_ it _this time, Zoro-san immediately tumbles away from the woman, crouching in pain. He_ _pins his swords onto the ground as one of his arms quickly wraps itself around his hit area with the other arm holding one of the swords._

 _"_ Is that all you got, Roronoa?" Candella-san smirks at Zoro-san's form.

"Cuatro Fleur!"

 _Without any warning, four arms magically sprout around Candella-san - two on her lower back and two on the upper back, just slightly above her elbow level. The two magic arms on top reach for the base of Candella-san's chin while the other two grab onto her two arms._

 _"_ N-Nico Robin!"

* * *

 _"_ Cuatro Fleur!"

As Robin called out her attack, four arms immediately sprouted behind the female officer, both pairs reaching for their own targets - the base of the chin and the arms, respectively. In shock, Candella then rotated her head slightly to where the archaeologist was standing. Seeing the pirate's arms still in their X position, the woman in white uttered in hatred.

"N-Nico Robin!"

"I suggest you give us the boy now, Marine-san," a serious Robin repeated the earlier request.

"Not a chance."

"Well then..."

Shutting her palms into a fist, the pirate shouted.

"Clutch!"

At that moment, the two arms below Candella's chin pushed her head upwards while the two below pulled Candella's own arms downwards, bending the officer. After finally breaking the lady marine, Candella's body fell down onto the floor, shocking both Yuu and his captor. As the four arms disappeared, Nico Robin directed her attention to the two bystanders.

"Will you hand over the boy to us now, Marine-san?" The same question, but now, to the actual captor.

"I-I... Uhm..." The soldier was shaking. His hold onto Yuu's arms made the Yuu shake with him, too. "C-Candella-san won't allow me."

"Are you sure? She's already down."

"I-I..."

"Tell it to her straight, sweetie~"

 _I knew it!_

In front of all three of them, the fallen officer's body quickly disintegrated, changing into white sheets of paper in the process, her coat and clothes included. As the archaeologist slowly backed away, the pieces of paper gathered around one spot and started forming an upright humanoid form, starting from the feet up. Little by little, the small sheets merged with one another and changed its appearance once all the papers fused together, returning to its previous form – the supposedly knocked out female officer's body, now void of any bruises or injury.

 _What?_


	7. C7 - Cease and Desist

**From where we left off:**

* * *

 _"_ Cuatro Fleur!"

As Robin called out her attack, four arms immediately sprouted behind the female officer, both pairs reaching for their own targets - the base of the chin and the arms, respectively. In shock, Candella then rotated her head slightly to where the archaeologist was standing. Seeing the pirate's arms still in their X position, the woman in white uttered in hatred.

"N-Nico Robin!"

"I suggest you give us the boy now, Marine-san," a serious Robin repeated the earlier request.

"Not a chance."

"Well then..."

Shutting her palms into a fist, the pirate shouted.

"Clutch!"

At that moment, the two arms below Candella's chin pushed her head upwards while the two below pulled Candella's own arms downwards, bending the officer. After finally breaking the lady marine, Candella's body fell down onto the floor, shocking both Yuu and his captor. As the four arms disappeared, Nico Robin directed her attention to the two bystanders.

"Will you hand over the boy to us now, Marine-san?" The same question, but now, to the actual captor.

"I-I... Uhm..." The soldier was shaking. His hold onto Yuu's arms made the Yuu shake with him, too. "C-Candella-san won't allow me."

"Are you sure? She's already down."

"I-I..."

"Tell it to her straight, sweetie~"

 _I knew it!_

In front of all three of them, the fallen officer's body quickly disintegrated, changing into white sheets of paper in the process, her coat and clothes included. As the archaeologist slowly backed away, the pieces of paper gathered around one spot and started forming an upright humanoid form, starting from the feet up. Little by little, the small sheets merged with one another and changed its appearance once all the papers fused together, returning to its previous form – the supposedly knocked out female officer's body, now void of any bruises or injury.

 _What?_

* * *

 **A/N: I really apologise for not updating for almost a year now. In my defense, the thing that's making it difficult for me to update this is the fact that I have no clue who would join the crew apart from Jinbei. I'm sure that there will be others joining until after the end of the Wano arc, so I'm trying my best not to exclude them here.**

 **Yes, I know. In fanfiction, anything can happen. But, it just feels wrong if I can't add the new crew members here.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - Cease and Desist**

* * *

 _What?_

The swordsman was not able to hide the shock on his face as the female Marine, now appearing to have not been injured in any way, teasingly flipped her hair to the wind.

The white-haired lady looked at her assailants through the corner of her eyes before speaking in a mischievous tone. "What seems to be the problem, Roronoa? Cat got your tongue?" Zoro scoffed at the taunt.

On the other hand, the teen in chains was yet to return from his shock. Seeing the female officer bent in an uncomfortable way and later transformed into bits of white paper was too much for him to process.

 _W-What the. What was that?_

Yuu was brought back to reality when the officer holding him gently shook him. "See that? That's our beloved Vice Admiral! The one who ate the Kami-Kami no Mi and became the Paper Woman. The most frightening and most loved of all the female officers in the Marines! Vice Admiral Candella!" the soldier announced rather proudly.

 _K-Kami Kami no Mi? A Devil Fruit user?_

"Sweetie," Candella looked straight at her underling who replied an alert 'Yes, Vice Admiral?' in return. Shifting her weight to her right hip while resting her right hand on it, she continued. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me a Paper Woman. You'll get me confused with those people who deliver newspapers. I don't like it," she finished in a flirty-like tone.

"Call me," she stepped forward with her right foot and, using her toes as support, spun in a carefree manner, her coat swinging along in the air as well as her left leg. Before she could spin for the second time, she stomped her left foot forward and swiftly positioned her right palm as if holding a wine glass with her left palm beneath her right elbow acting as support. "The Paper Artisan. It sounds more glamorous that way, does it not?"

"Glamorous, you say?" The swordsman cut in, bringing to his mouth one of his held swords before unsheathing another. "Try saying that after I cut you to bits," his mouth may have been blocked but Candella seemed to have heard it clearly.

As Zoro raised the two held swords horizontally and above his sword arm with the blades behind his head, Candella did nothing but only watch the swordsman prepare his attack.

"1080... Pound Hou!" Circular swings performed by the Pirate Hunter launched air compressed projectile spiraling towards Candella. As the attack closed, she did not move from her spot and was easily cut into pieces, her body returning to its paper-like state. The buildings behind her got caught up in the attack.

But before Zoro can even relax, the cut pieces of paper remerged similar to how it did previously – from the bottom up. After a few seconds, Candella reappeared. Unharmed and uncut.

"Pirate Hunter Zoro," the swordsman was obviously lost for words. "To you, what is paper?"

"If you slice it, if you cut it in pieces, if you crumple it to wrinkles, will it cease in being paper? Will it become something else?"

 _How can this be? I even put Haki on that swing!_ Zoro thought to himself.

"Regardless if you put Haki in your attacks or not, Roronoa," she confidently walked towards the swordsman, "if you can't change paper into anything else, you won't be able to do a thing against me." Candella was now within arm's reach from Zoro. The condescending stare she was giving the man only earned a grunted response.

"The same goes to you, Nico Robin," she slowly turned her head in a teasingly manner towards the archaeologist who already had her arms in the usual attack position. "Breaking my spine would not make a difference. Nor twisting my body in any way you like. Both your attacks are useless against me, you might as well surrender and get this farce over with."

"That's our Vice Admiral!" cheered most of the observing Marine soldiers.

The pirates, on the other hand, found themselves in a precarious situation. Zoro couldn't move his hands in sheer fright even when his target was within range. The archaeologist froze on her spot, thinking what she can do against the Devil Fruit user.

While the Marine soldiers continued on yelling their support, a new voice broke the attention of Candella's attackers.

"Z-Zoro-san! You can do it! I know you can!" Yuu was suddenly yanked by his captor, but did not falter. "I don't know who you really are, but I believe in you!"

That one line made Candella turn around towards the teen. With stern eyes behind her eyewear, she looked sharply at the captive while closing the gap between them.

"O-Oi! Don't you dare hurt him!" threatened Zoro while remaining where he is.

"You there," Candella spoke in a cold voice. "You don't know these people but you believe in them?"

"Y-Yes!" Yuu hesitated, but found the courage to speak against the older woman.

"Why?"

"Because they're not you guys!" Eyebrows rose at the remark. "Because they're not puppets of those old men you serve!"

Candella found the statement of the lad offensive. So, with black and red orbs glaring in anger, she raised her hand in an attempt to strike the boy hard in the face, but before she can even hit skin, a familiar voice commanded.

"Clutch!"

Little did the Vice Admiral notice, four more arms already sprouted all over her body, on the same place the first set of limbs emerged, and bent her in an awkward position before her body disintegrated into paper. However, she wasn't the only one who fell on the floor. The nearby soldiers did, too, most especially, the one holding the captive.

Robin's attack did not end there. She immediately sprouted several more arms near the pieces of paper which summed up Candella's _body_. The limbs she created which stemmed from the dock floor acted as brooms which then swept the white sheets apart from each other, scattering them like used confetti.

 _If my observation is right, the closer the papers are to each other, the faster she could re-emerge._

Without even being ordered, Zoro immediately rushed towards their target and grabbed the teen's arm. The teen winced at the sudden touch.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

After a quick nod from the younger male, Yuu and Zoro started running away from the group of fallen soldiers. Robin followed suit.

Meanwhile, the scattered pieces of white paper started grouping themselves, though not as fast as before due to the archaeologist's doing.

* * *

"Gomu Gomu no… Muchi!"

"L-Luffy-san! In case you forget, you have a passenger with you! Please handle me with care!"

Men in white kept falling one by one as Straw Hat used his stretched leg to strike the soldiers down. His hands were pre-occupied as his left arm caged a certain bartender by the waist while his right acted as a rope, swinging him and his passenger from one place to another for faster travel pace.

Hayato, on the other hand, started mumbling incoherent words in sheer fright with his palms pressed together. Luffy heartily laughed at the bartender's reaction.

"Your reaction is so funny, Hayato!"

"And you're a reckless buffoon! I swear, if we find Yuu and can get out of this place in one piece, I am _not_ letting him join in your crew! I won't accept a suicidal airhead as his captain!"

"Come, on. Don't be like that." Luffy pouted as he launched another set of soldiers out of their way with his outstretched limb.

"Then, don't just start hitting soldiers left, right, and centre, you dope! You–We're not here to kick their asses. We're here to look for Yuu and get him out of here!"

"Okay!" With a cheerful response, Luffy came to an abrupt halt which caught the bartender off-guard.

"Catch Straw Hat!" The soldiers flocked towards the two.

"W-Why did you stop?" Hayato immediately panicked once the men in white with their swords and guns in hand approached Luffy and him closer.

Rather than replying, Luffy stretched his free hand towards a tall pole a few metres above him. "Grab on tight!" he said to the bartender.

Hayato traced his eyes to the other arm of the pirate captain and started turning pale. "Oh no…"

After a few seconds, Luffy pulled themselves up in the air, Hayato shouting his lungs out in fright. Despite the rain of bullets coming from the soldiers under them, the captain continued on laughing at the passenger's cry. Luckily for them, no bullet hit either of them.

As Luffy retracted his right arm, both males found themselves on top of a tall building that oversaw parts of the island. Salty sea breeze combed the hairs on top of the captain's and the bartender's hair and the mob of angry soldiers beneath them were completely forgotten.

"Ooh!" Luffy sounded astounded. "I can see the sea from here!"

"Sealock's not that big, Luffy-san. I can even see parts of Wano from here," Hayato commented.

"Where?"

Before the teen in light green can point his finger towards the Land of the Samurai, he noticed a commotion not too far to where he was actually looking. _There's something going on at the port,_ he thought. Curious, he shielded his eyes from the sunlight with his right hand and stretched his neck towards the port, his eyes scanning the place.

His eyesight was good enough that he was able to take notice of the three figures running away from a mob of white people. Recognising the mob as a group of Marine soldiers, he returned his observation to the three escaping people. As he took a closer inspection, he gasped at his sudden realisation.

"L-Luffy-san! There! There!" Hayato pointed his left index finger towards the dock. "I see Yuu!"

"Where?" Luffy directed his view to where his passenger was pointing at. "Ah! I see Zoro! Oi! Zoro!"

"I believe it would be best if we approach them, Luffy-san."

"Okay! Hold on tight!"

 _You don't need to tell me that now._

* * *

"Z-Zoro-san! Why did you guys come after me?"

Yuu, Zoro, and Robin already gained quite a distance against the people chasing them, and as the space between the two parties grew wider, Yuu was able to find an opportunity to ask the swordsman the question that has bugged him even before the start of the chase.

"This woman beside me is looking for you," Zoro pointed his thumb towards the archaeologist running not far behind the two males.

"L-Looking for me?" Yuu tried to turn his head towards the Ohara-born but was scared to actually look at the female. Instead, he returned his eyes to the road immediately. Robin tilted his head in confusion.

 _W-What does this woman want with me?_

"And Chopper wants to finish treating you." Zoro continued.

 _Chopper-san?_

"Reindeer-san?" Zoro hummed in response.

"Anyway. How were you caught by the Marines?"

"I-I was hiding in this old house but did not know that a soldier was already in it. The soldier thought of me as a pirate and cuffed me," Yuu shyly replied.

"Are you an idiot?" Yuu popped an angry vain at the statement.

"Yes. Yes. I'm an idiot," Yuu said sarcastically. "I am _so sorry_ , Zoro-sama." The swordsman hit the back of the other male's head in retort.

As they continued running away from the persuaders, a familiar voice caught the attention of the poorly dressed male.

"Yuu!" The male-in-concern stopped in place as he jerked his head to where the voice was coming from. Zoro took notice and stopped running as well.

"Oi! What are you doing?"

"Someone's calling out to me."

Another shout-out came his way. This time, even Zoro and Robin heard it. Both turned their heads towards the town and saw their captain. In his left arm strapped an unknown man in his teens. The younger male beside Zoro tried to raise his arms but the chains on his wrist proved it impossible.

"Hayato! Over here!"

In the air, Luffy was holding onto his straw hat with his right hand and held Hayato close to him with his left as he just jumped from the roof of one nearby building towards where his crew members were standing.

With a loud thud, Luffy safely landed on his two feet a few metres away from the archaeologist. After adjusting his straw hat, he straightened his back and waved at his crewmates. "Yo!"

"H-Hayato!" Yuu came rushing towards the friend.

"L-Luffy-san, can you let go of me now?" Hayato requested. With an approval from the captain, the bartender anchored his feet to the ground as Luffy removed his arms around the male. Once safely rooted to the ground, Hayato ran towards his friend.

As they stopped in front of each other, Hayato did not fail to notice that his friend's hands were constrained. "What happened?" He asked in a worried motherly way.

"They caught me,"Yuu referring to the soldiers and Hayato understood. "And then this happened," he tried to raise his arms but the chains stopped him.

"We'll get rid of those chains later," Zoro interrupted, walking closer to the two Sealock residents. "Right now, we have a problem on our hands." He unsheathed one of his swords and pointed it towards the rushing men gaining close to them.

"Stay back," Robin came in between the two younger males, her hands already in their attacking position. With the archaeologist near him, Yuu immediately ran behind Hayato, using his friend as a sort of human shield.

"You _really_ need to do something about this phobia of yours," the bartender whispered low enough for only Yuu to hear.

"Make me," Yuu replied softly but with conviction, his hands holding tighter on the friend's both shoulders. Hayato only sighed.

The soldiers were now a few metres in front of them, swords and guns in hand, ready to strike the pirates down. Zoro took another sword into his hand as Robin composed herself, observing the men in front of her. Luffy, on the other hand, walked closer towards his two subordinates, rotating his left arm with his right hand on his left shoulder, easing it out of numbness.

"Straw Hat Luffy! Pirate Hunter! Demon Child! You are all under arrest for disturbing the peace of Sealock Island!" One soldier announced, both his hands gripping tightly on the sword pointing towards the pirates.

"Zoro! Robin!" Luffy grabbed the attention of the two. "Let's finish this quick and meet with the others already." Both crew members replied with a sound 'Yes'.

"Sweetie!" Zoro and Yuu noticeably flinched at the familiar voice. Robin flinched as well but her face did not show it. "That arrest statement needs some improvement."

The men in white then stepped aside, revealing behind them their female superior, completely absent of any cuts or bruises. Adjusting the frame that shielded her eyes, she took a step forward with her five-inch high heels, his men proudly standing behind her. She took a quick glance at every single one of the Straw Hat Pirates and the two civilians in front her before speaking.

"If you want to declare an arrest in a more… convincing manner, do this." Readjusting her eyewear with her right hand, Candella then took two steps forward, her hips swaying with each step. She then raised her right hand and pointed towards the people in front of her. With her dual-coloured eyes giving a stern look, she said in a clear, all-mighty tone.

"Monkey D. Luffy! Roronoa Zoro! Nico Robin! In the name of protecting civilians, keeping the peace, and maintaining order in this treacherous waters, I, Vice Admiral Candella of the Marine Headquarters, arrest the three of you for charges of several escapes from lawful custody, piracy, and conspiracy against the World Government! Give us back that boy you took and don't bother fighting back 'cause I'll get this over very quickly, okay?" The last part, she said in a friendlier yet still demanding manner.


	8. C8 - Welcome to the Sealock Channel

**From where we left off:**

* * *

The soldiers were now a few metres in front of them, swords and guns in hand, ready to strike the pirates down. Zoro took another sword into his hand as Robin composed herself, observing the men in front of her. Luffy, on the other hand, walked closer towards his two subordinates, rotating his left arm with his right hand on his left shoulder, easing it out of numbness.

"Straw Hat Luffy! Pirate Hunter! Demon Child! You are all under arrest for disturbing the peace of Sealock Island!" One soldier announced, both his hands gripping tightly on the sword pointing towards the pirates.

"Zoro! Robin!" Luffy grabbed the attention of the two. "Let's finish this quick and meet with the others already." Both crew members replied with a sound 'Yes'.

"Sweetie!" Zoro and Yuu noticeably flinched at the familiar voice. Robin flinched as well but her face did not show it. "That arrest statement needs some improvement."

The men in white then stepped aside, revealing behind them their female superior, completely absent of any cuts or bruises. Adjusting the frame that shielded her eyes, she took a step forward with her five-inch high heels, his men proudly standing behind her. She took a quick glance at every single of the Straw Hat Pirates and the two civilians in front her before speaking.

"If you want to declare an arrest in a more… convincing manner, do this." Readjusting her eyewear with her right hand, Candella then took two steps forward, her hips swaying with each step. She then raised her right hand and pointed towards the people in front of her. With her dual-coloured eyes giving a stern look, she said in an all-mighty tone.

"Monkey D. Luffy! Roronoa Zoro! Nico Robin! In the name of protecting civilians, keeping the peace, and maintaining order in this treacherous waters, I, Vice Admiral Candella of the Marine Headquarters, arrest the three of you for charges of several escapes from lawful custody, piracy, and conspiracy against the World Government! Give us back that boy you took and don't bother fighting back 'cause I'll get this over very quickly, okay?" The last part, she said in a friendlier yet still demanding manner.

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Welcome to the Sealock Channel**

* * *

Apart from the seagulls screeching and the sea waves crashing, the docks were awfully quiet. Not because no one was there. Wrong.

In fact, it was the complete opposite.

Men dressed in white and with arms within their reach stood tall and proud behind their female superior who clad herself in clothing of the same colour. In front of them were five people, two of which were easily recognised as crew members of a pirate crew the men were very much aware of. Furthermore, the captain of said crew was also there with his subordinates, completely unaware of what the tall woman in five-inch high heels in front of him is capable of. Not that he bothered figuring it out.

In complete contrast to the alert and relatively steady pirates, the two others standing among them were clearly shaking from their legs up. After the Vice Admiral's much clearer and more intimidating arrest declaration, Yuu found himself trembling with fear behind Hayato who, even though was also just as scared as his companion, was obviously trying to put up a brave façade as he wrapped his arms around his friend.

Amidst the thickening tension, Zoro caught himself thinking.

 _We have to get away from this woman. I can't cut her. Not even with Haki._ His grip on his two swords tightened at the thought. _I can't do any damage to her unless something happens to her immunity._

"Gear Second."

 _We have to disable it somehow. But how? L-Luffy?_

Beside him, his straw hat-wearing captain, now emitting steam from all over his upper body, was starting to stretch his arms to its full extent in the opposite direction. Yuu and Hayato noticed the preparation but were too scared to say something. The same also did not escape Robin's observation and took the opportunity to inform her captain of the enemy's capability.

"Luffy! Be careful. That Vice Admiral is a Devil Fruit user," Robin said with utmost caution.

 _"_ Devil Fruit user, you say," Luffy was listening.

"Aa. It's paper-based," Zoro added. "And it's something special that I can't even cut her to pieces. Not even with Haki."

 _Special. Hm. In that case…_

"Gomu-gomu no…"

With his arms now at its stretched limit, Luffy then balled his palms into fists before applying Haki on them. Before he can do anything else, the captain started to attack.

"Red Hawk!"

Utilising the fastest speed possible, Luffy pulled back his enforced arms, now set ablaze due to the sudden air friction, and aimed them towards the female officer ahead. However, instead of bracing for impact, the female Marine only scoffed.

As the bullet-fast fist came burning towards her, Candella simply shifted her weight to her right and made herself comfortable, dusting invisible dust off of her clothes. Then, with a snap of her right finger, rumbling noises started erupting from the back of her men. Seconds later, a sound of something breaking apart caught the ears of the pirates. Pieces of sharp wood and nail fragments came littering onto the Marine's side of the dock as stacks of paper came flying en masse towards the Vice Admiral, blocking the vision of several of the men in white. The clustered old newspaper pages, outdated bounty flyers, and several other paper materials gathered in front of Candella and formed a protective wall in front of her, just in time for Luffy's fiery attack.

Despite the pressure of the Haki-enforced fist trying to burrow its way against the thick layer of protection Candella quickly set up, the Vice Admiral behind the paper barrier paid it no heed and continued to stand in her spot unmoved.

Luffy, on the other hand, continued on applying more force to his attack, hoping to ignite the flammable hindrance in front of him. However, only smoke started to arise from the impact. Luffy did not want to admit it, but he won't be piercing through the thick defensive wall the enemy came up with. He was feeling it in his hands. So, with a grunt, he immediately retracted his arms away from the Vice Admiral's masterpiece. As the smoke started to subside, a noticeable dent was visible from the pirate's side of the wall. A few bits within the circumference of the attack were slightly burnt, but, in entirety, the wall stood.

Robin found herself shocked by the defensive capabilities of the enemy. _Luffy's attack only left a dent? But it's paper._ The swordsman beside her was just as stumped.

From the other side of the wall, Candella spoke.

"As expected from Straw Hat Luffy. I believe there's a dent on your side of the wall," she said half-amused. "But, too bad. It's only a dent." She was taunting.

"Shut up!" Luffy countered. His mind was full of questions at that moment.

 _It's paper, right? Why didn't it burn?_

 _I did leave a mark, but what of it?_

 _Is this that 'no ordinary' Vice Admiral Robin mentioned earlier?_

With another snap of a finger, the paper wall started to disassemble and started to disperse with every paper now floating in front of the female law enforcer. As her visage came to the view of the five people facing her, sheer fright became obvious to the two civilians caught up in the fight, though it was more noticeable to the one standing behind his bartender friend.

"How'd you like my Wall? Quite sturdy, isn't it?" Candella relaxed despite pirates practically standing across her. "Though you may have left a dent, that's the only thing you'd be getting from it. No one has ever pierced through my Walls. Not even once. Not even…" The dual-coloured woman glanced at each of the five people in front of her before continuing from her pause.

"Sakazuki."

 _Akainu?_ Robin and Zoro quickly said to themselves.

While Yuu and Hayato were clearly confused on what the Vice Admiral was talking about, Luffy was obviously taken aback by what she said.

The man who fought against Aokiji so hard that the climate of an entire island changed for the worst. The name of the man that currently stands on the topmost pedestal of the Marines and commands every man and woman in white patrolling the seas. The man who pierced his fist right through the body of his older brother Ace…

"A…Akainu," Luffy murmured without thinking.

Candella noticed the sudden drop in the pirate captain's brave front. Luffy's black locks started to shadow his eyes. His fists tightened more than earlier, his nails most likely leaving crescent marks on the contacted skin. Robin and Zoro realised it as well and Yuu and Hayato were not dense enough not to feel it themselves.

Without a second thought, Luffy sprang forward and started raining punches towards the Vice Admiral, only to navigate each pieces of paper floating near her to harden and intercept every blow. Every paper hit tore in half but Candella immediately lined up more of the floating ammo to face the incoming attacks. The sequence continued with Luffy blindingly punching left, right, and centre towards Candella while the female simply blocking each attack one after the other. Zoro and Robin only stood on their places and watched, knowing their abilities won't be able to handle the tricky opponent.

As Luffy continued to barrage the opponent with hits, Candella used her other finger to make crumpling motions. The pieces of paper not in Luffy's line of fire started to contract and shaped themselves into arrowheads, all pointing towards the young pirate.

And when the female Marine officer felt it was enough, she yelled.

"Origami Strike: Rain of Fire!"

The floating pieces of folded paper immediately rained down towards the oblivious captain at Mach speed, and before he can realize what would be hitting him, several formed arrowheads came slicing through Luffy's arms and legs, earning a pain response from the captain.

Not wanting to see the young captain collapse, Robin immediately positioned herself into attack position and commenced.

"Mil Fleur!"

All of a sudden, pairs of hands linked together by interlocking thumbs came sprouting on the surface of every arrowhead approaching Luffy.

"Kochouran!"

The wing-like appendages then flapped to create gusts that diverted the arrowheads away from the captain. While some headed towards the sea, several deflected ones came approaching Yuu and Hayato who only closed their eyes in anticipation of the impact. In response, Zoro immediately jumped in front of them and sliced through the incoming paper projectiles. That is, of course, after Robin removed her hands from the targeted pieces of paper.

Though now spared from the rain of sharp arrowheads, Luffy knelt down in pain, one hand over the other as blood started running down his limbs.

With fewer pieces of ammo floating above and around her, Candella slowly walked towards the hurting opponent and glared at him with condescending eyes right before redirecting her eyes towards the boy behind Hayato. Yuu felt the two orbs was directed at him, so he immediately concealed himself behind his friend. Zoro felt the same thing and tightened the grip on his swords.

"You think you'll be getting this kid with you, aren't you?" Zoro taunted.

"I don't think. I know," Candella replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "If you don't mind, I'll be taking him now."

"You have to get through me first!" With that Zoro, using his right foot as leverage, run forward to the opponent despite knowing he won't be able to harm the officer. In response, the woman, also using her right food to build up momentum, pushed herself against the swordsman. What the green-haired pirate did not think of was Candella turning herself into bits of paper as she passed through the opponent and floated towards her white-haired target. Before Zoro can even turn his heel to face Candella, it was already too late. The officer was now within seconds away from the two civilians.

"Come with me now, boy," Candella uttered with confidence as she reached her hand out.

Feeling Yuu tremble more behind him, Hayato quickly took out a metal flask from his right back pocket and a worn-out lighter from the other. Immediately filling his mouth with the liquid substance from the container, the bartender then flipped the lighter on. With Candella now an arm's length away from him, the bartender quickly wiped his chin and lips with his bare fist and sprayed the content of his mouth towards the officer. Slightly connecting his lit lighter to the liquid substance, a stream of hot fire appeared and forced its way towards the Vice Admiral. Caught off-guard by the sudden fire attack, Candella floated back from the fire-breathing bartender and distanced herself from the flame. As she increased her distance away from the lad, an unexpected blow from her right sent her crashing towards a nearby building.

Luffy attacked with another Red Hawk and this time, directly hitting the Vice Admiral herself. Forgetting about the pirates around her, Candella was not able to avoid the second fiery attack of the captain and was immediately sent to a distance, the floating pieces of paper falling onto the docks slowly as a result. The shocked Marine soldiers immediately ran towards the pirates with their guns and swords at hand until Robin quickly sprouted more limbs onto the approaching men's bodies and bent them in an uncomfortable fashion.

While Luffy wanted to march towards the thrown away officer, Robin spouted another set of limbs around the captain's feet and stopped him.

"Luffy. We have to get out of here first. We have civilians with us. We can't let them get involved any further," Robin commented. Zoro ran towards Hayato and Yuu and awkwardly tried to comfort the shaking former passenger.

"We have to bring these guys to Sunny first before we do something else. That attack only worked because she was caught off-guard. Hitting her a second time would be harder now. We have to get away from here first and get these guys to safety," Zoro was serious.

Convinced, although a bit irritated, Luffy then ordered the two subordinates to run the opposite direction and into the town, to where he thought the Sunny was docked. Zoro decided to run beside Yuu and Hayato who were both more scared than before. The bartender, after sliding back his lighter and petrol flask into his pockets, gripped Yuu's hand tighter as they ran towards safety.

* * *

Running through town, Robin and Luffy led the group as they hid behind from one building to another. Yuu and Hayato followed the two, the white-haired teen still clinging onto the friend as they moved. Zoro was at the tail, protecting the two civilians in case soldiers appear from his side.

The swordsman almost walked off several times but Hayato's constant check kept the older male from straying away.

He may have realised it, but it was a _brilliant_ idea.

As the five continued threading down towards the centre of the island through a narrow path, a door of an approaching rundown building opened and from the inside peeked a set of eyes. Before Luffy and Robin can attack the assumed enemy, a frail voice stopped the archaeologist who later tapped the captain on the shoulder.

"Luffy, hold on," Robin voiced out. "I know her."

From the slightly opened door came out the old librarian that helped the female from Ohara two hours earlier – Klara. She slowly walked two steps down the elevated door before gazing into the five young people, a bright smile plastered on her cheeks.

"Yuu. Hayato. How come you two are with Robin-chan's friends?" Klara softly inquired.

"K-Klara-san!" In a fit of joy, the two quickly ran towards the elder and hugged her, Klara wrapping her bone-thin shoulders around the teens in response.

Robin slowly approached the librarian. "Klara-san."

After a few seconds of hugging, Klara let go of the two boys as Yuu and Hayato released the old woman and stepped aside to give way to the archaeologist. "Robin-chan, it seems you and your people have been caught up by the Marines, huh." A weak chuckle escaped the old librarian's dried lips.

"Yes, Klara-san. We had to do a little detour, after all," Robin's lips curved a kind smile.

"Very well," Klara turned around towards the open door. "Come inside. Quick. I'll help you kids get out of this place."

Without a second doubt, Yuu and Hayato entered the building, leaving the four older people outside. The raven-haired captain was about to voice out when sounds of running feet starting to pour into the nearby street. In panic, Luffy immediately entered the building followed by Zoro, then by Robin, and lastly by Klara who locked the door upon entering.

But, before she left her spot in front of the entrance, the frail librarian pointed to a nearby hardwood table and asked the two stronger men behind her – Zoro and Luffy, to blockade the door with the furniture. The two complied and after placing the heavy duty desk against the locked entrance, Klara expressed her gratitude.

"Thank you for that, lads. Seeing as I can barely lift a chair, I'm really thankful for that," Klara turned to look straight at the two males and smiled gently.

"Pardon me if I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Klara and I'm the attending librarian of this building."

They were indeed inside a library. In fact, the same library Robin visited hours earlier. The only different thing being how the archaeologist entered the place. Yuu and Hayato did not seem to find it any different, judging their reactions while comfortably sitting themselves on a nearby bench. While Zoro had his eyes on the old woman, Luffy's were scouting the area and though the place was poorly lit, the stray lights coming from the ceilings and high windows illuminated the room enough for the captain to see shelves full of books both new and worn-out.

"Why did you help us?" Zoro started the questions.

"Aren't you friends with Robin-chan here?" Klara asked. "She kept me company earlier and I can't bare see anyone who wanted to learn getting caught up in a mess," Zoro was yet to be convinced as proven by his sceptical face.

"That, and…" She turned around to face the two lads on the bench. "Those two are with you. I don't know what happened, but, if you three are with them, I'm convinced that you're good people."

"Huh…" Zoro trailed off. "Okay, but how are we going to escape the Marines while in here? It's only a matter of time before those guys come barging in places."

Klara tilted her head while smiling gently at the query. As she walked forward by a few frail steps, she called the attention of the two local boys. "Yuu. Hayato. Come here."

"Yes, Klara-san?" Hayato asked.

"If we're going to leave this place undetected, we have to go down the labyrinth. I can't let you two run around in case you get lost." The two males only looked at each other in confusion.

"You're Straw Hat, am I right?" Luffy was standing on top of the improvised barricade. The childish captain was pretending to search something on top of the desk with his hand over his eyes and his head turning side to side.

"Mhm. I'm Luffy," he proudly pointed a thumb to himself, "and I'll become the Pirate King." The librarian only smiled in response.

"Can you pull down that metallic candle handler behind you?"

Above the door frame behind the captain was a rusted candle handler lacking the actual candle. Luffy looked at it in deep thought, his lips puckered like duck lips before pulling down the hanging metal until he heard a sudden click.

A few metres away from them, an area free from any shelves or other furniture slowly parted, revealing a series of stone steps that became less and less visible as the path deepened. Yuu and Hayato immediately ran to the mouth of the newfound path and looked at it, trying to look for something.

While Luffy and Zoro were shocked at the development, Robin was not.

"Is this another secret path of this place, Klara-san?"

"The library has numerous hidden paths, Robin-chan," Klara softly responded as she walked towards the boys still in awe. "The path you took earlier cannot compare to this one. It's deeper and longer."

"What kind of library is this?" Zoro can't contain his amazement.

"I'll explain it later, but right now, we have to go," the librarian was now at the first step down. "Hayato, can you be a dear and grab that lamp at the corner?" The bartender looked to where the old lady was pointing and quickly retrieved a rickety old lamp.

The moment he felt the lamp was empty, Hayato immediately filled it with the remainder of the petroleum from his metal flask. The cloth wick of the lamp was then lit and as soon as the fire became brighter, the bartender positioned himself in front of Klara. Yuu followed beside him.

"You three. Come here now. We have no time to waste," Klara ushered the younger boys to start walking down the stairs while she followed them. :uffy, Zoro, and Robin immediately caught up to them.

The first few steps were nerve-wracking for the bartender and his friend, both afraid that something could, at any moment, just jump in front of them. Klara was calm behind them, her eyes half-shut, while Zoro was concentrating on the road in front of him. Luffy was more enthusiastic than the two boys in the front as his eyes were forming stars as they took more steps down, whereas Robin getting more and more curious as they progressed down the tunnel.

 _What kind of place is this?_

 _Why would an old library have such a lot of secret passages?_

Yuu and Hayato finally took their last steps on the stairs and walked a few paces ahead as they waited for the others, removing threads of spider web that attached to their heads and the lamp. After all six were now together, Klara moved a few metres and found another metallic candle handler along the dimly lit passage. Similar to what Luffy did, she pulled down the wall décor until she heard a small click.

The pirates started hearing a heavy mechanic sound and looked back up to the entrance of the path. What they saw was the light coming from the library getting thinner and thinner. The earlier platform that moved out of the way slowly returned to its original position, slowly shutting the light out of the hidden tunnel. After a few more heavy clanking sounds, the library and any stray light visible was entirely covered by darkness.

"We have to do that or else the Marines would find out about this place," Klara broke the concentration of the pirates.

"Okay. Now tell us. What the heck is this place?" The swordsman fired the first question.

"This, my dear young ones, is one of the many entrances of the Sealock Channel, a chain of secret tunnels both underground and incognito that connects many parts of the island away from the eyes of all non-residents."

"S-Sealock Channel?" Robin and Zoro parroted. From the side, Yuu and Hayato were just as astounded.

"Now, come. We can talk as we move. The exit we're going for is a bit far from here. Hayato, start moving, would you dear?"


	9. C9 - March of the Entourage

**From where we left off:**

* * *

The first few steps were nerve-wracking for the bartender and his friend, both afraid that something could, at any moment, just jump in front of them. Klara was calm behind them, her eyes half-shut, while Zoro was concentrating on the road in front of him. Luffy was more enthusiastic than the two boys in the front as his eyes were forming stars as they took more steps down, whereas Robin getting more and more curious as they progressed down the tunnel.

 _What kind of place is this?_

 _Why would an old library have such a lot of secret passages?_

Yuu and Hayato finally took their last steps on the stairs and walked a few paces ahead as they waited for the others, removing threads of spider web that attached to their heads and the lamp. After all six were now together, Klara moved a few metres and found another metallic candle handler along the dimly lit passage. Similar to what Luffy did, she pulled down the wall décor until she heard a small click.

The pirates started hearing a heavy mechanic sound and looked back up to the entrance of the path. What they saw was the light coming from the library getting thinner and thinner. The earlier platform that moved out of the way slowly returned to its original position, slowly shutting the light out of the hidden tunnel. After a few more heavy clanking sounds, the library and any stray light visible was entirely covered by darkness.

"We have to do that or else the Marines would find out about this place," Klara broke the concentration of the pirates.

"Okay. Now tell us. What the heck is this place?" The swordsman fired the first question.

"This, my dear young ones, is one of the many entrances of the Sealock Channel, a chain of secret tunnels both underground and incognito that connects many parts of the island away from the eyes of all non-residents."

"S-Sealock Channel?" Robin and Zoro parroted. From the side, Yuu and Hayato were just as astounded.

"Now, come. We can talk as we move. The exit we're going for is a bit far from here. Hayato, start moving, would you dear?"

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - March of the Entourage**

* * *

As the group of six ventured deeper into the poorly maintained passage, Klara thought it would be better if she would start talking at any second since they have been walking in silence for minutes now.

"A few years ago, this secret tunnel we are using did not exist. Desire paths, as well as dirt roads, were the only means of connection from one part of the island to another."

The swordsman and the archaeologist decided to lend their ears to the history talk. Luffy did the same thing as well as the other two males.

"When I first arrived here as a newly liberated slave, Sealock was a bustling town full of merchants, travellers, and the occasional bounty hunters."

"However..." Zoro glanced at the older woman in front. "Everything changed when Kaido attacked."

"After gaining a foothold on Wano, he thought of expanding his territory into the nearby waters. Of course, Sealock got caught up in it. Hearing of rumours that Kaido and his men would be coming to Sealock brought fear to the merchants of the island. Most of them fled while those who cannot because of their own reasons decided to lay low. Tourism slowly died as a consequence."

As Yuu and Hayato turned to a corner, the old lady continued to narrate.

"Foolish pirates who wished to control Sealock came day after day, fighting the men that Kaido left here after proclaiming his name on the island."

"W-Weren't they idiots, though?" Hayato interrupted, his voice slightly faltered due to slight shock. "I mean, they were facing against one of the Yonkou. Did not have any brains, Klara-san?"

Klara expressed an amused hum. "You're too young to remember this, but, long time ago, the territory of Sealock, both land and sea, was very rich in resources pirates needed. From the land, valuable metals were abundant. From the sea, can you guess what it was?"

The bartender leered away from the conversation, his mind thinking of possible answers. Yuu was also thinking, but nothing came to mind.

"Fish. Sealock was once rich in many kinds of delicious fish!" Luffy proudly shouted, a hand raised in the air.

"Close," Klara politely responded, "although the island's waters are still rich in that, so try something else."

"What was it?" Zoro commented, not bothering on thinking for an answer.

"Seastones." Luffy and his crew did not bother hiding their shocked expressions. "There was once abnormally large stacks of seastones scattered all over the nearby waters of Sealock, most especially in the region between the island and Wano," Klara said with a matter-of-fact tone.

"In fact, the island was once also sought after, even by the government, because of another mineral that, when combined with seastones, can form an even sturdier material that is not only valuable against Devil Fruit users, but also highly profitable. After all, finding those kinds of minerals anywhere in the world was like finding a hay in a needle stack. Forget about those things being an impossible feat, the cost is extremely high as well."

"What happened?" Robin queried.

"When both seastones and the other mineral were mostly extracted from the island, the government left. However, the mines dug were later discovered to contain gold and silver, so people all over the sea came and feasted on the find,"

"Is that why those pirates decided to be foolish and marched right into Kaido's turf?" Zoro scoffed.

"Exactly. They probably thought that if Kaido and his men, who were only aiming for the island because of territory expansion, were to leave, they can have all the gold and silver deposits of the island to themselves."

"Though it's weird that Kaido did not know of this fact," Yuu said puzzled.

"It's not that they didn't," Hayato replied. "It's most likely because they couldn't be bothered."

"From what I heard, the Beast Pirates were more concerned with making their men capable of turning into monsters."

Robin smiled at the answer. "I cannot say that that's not correct, to be honest."

"Aa. We observed that ourselves, after all," the swordsman grinned.

"You're on the mark, Hayato," the older female praised the youngster. "Kaido and his men did not bother with the minerals of the island. It's true that they could have used the golds and silvers here for their transactions, but, for some reason, they didn't."

Zoro was growing more and more curious. "But how does that relate to the creation of the tunnel?"

"The fighting between the gold-obsessed pirates and the Beast Pirates continued to intensify. The townspeople were growing more and more worried about their livelihood. The ones living in the town centre had it worst. Despite being near the ocean, they can't fish for anything without the constant threat of being blown off by either side."

"How about those on the outskirts of town?"

"Those people, Yuu, were better off. The bloodshed on the Ameda Plains was minimal. Because of the narrow strips of land connecting that part of the island with the rest, the residents there were able to live relatively safely. The dangerous cliffs bordering the island with the sea also helped a lot. The food wasn't a problem as well. After all, Hazkon's plantation was still operating amidst the conflict. Raiding pirates who came there were repelled by the formed mob."

"That old man," a satisfied grunt came from Hayato.

"The food crisis was escalating over time. Some of the men who worked for Hazkon brought it upon themselves and decided to deliver crates full of fruits, vegetables, and venisons to the residents in the town. However, no one came back fulfilled since their loads were taken from them by anyone from the fighting parties every time they have crossed the safe zone," the sad tone was evident in Klara's voice.

"And then, as if by fate, the West Wind Pirates landed on the north shore of the island, far from the town and its predicament."

"W-West Wind Pirates?" The men said in unison, obviously confused.

 _K-Kana's pirate crew..._ Robin thought happily.

"Hey, obaa-san. Who are these West Wind Pirates?"

Before Klara had the chance to respond, Robin took it upon herself to respond to the captain of the crew.

"The West Wind Pirates is a group of pirates that originated from the West Blue," Robin was noticeably enjoying her response.

"Do you know these pirates, Robin?"

"Yes, Zoro. In fact, I travelled with them myself once. We crossed the Red Line together, after all."

Robin's two companions didn't bother hiding their surprise when they dropped their jaws in shock.

"You really were with other pirates before joining Crocodile, huh," Luffy commented, still processing the new information.

"Of course. I told you guys before, right? Before meeting Crocodile and joining Baroque Works, I have been part of other groups. The West Wind Pirates is one of them."

"However, they were people that I really enjoyed being with. Just like you guys." At the expression of gratitude coupled with a smile, Luffy snickered while Zoro turned away, embarrassed.

"I feel the same way towards them, truth be told." The old lady returned to the conversation. "The West Wind Pirates was a fun bunch. All members may have been weirdos, but they were the good kind."

"When Kana-sama, the crew's captain, decided to look for someone she can talk to about her questions, she found me and asked what was going on."

* * *

On an island somewhere in the New World stood a majestic, wooden, white mansion. The building has three floors and a wide garden filled with a water fountain, bushes of numerous roses, and, currently, two men. One of them was swinging a wooden sword while the other one sat on a foldable chair, his right hand wiping left, right, and centre. Pieces of floating papers followed the sitting man's every direction as the apparently younger male tried to rip them into halves.

"Too slow, boy. We've been doing this for an hour now but you've only torn a handful of them."

"P-Pardon my incapabilities, Cirio-sama!" The teen male's grip on the sword tightened.

"I told you already, right?" The other male scratched the back of his head. "No need for honorifics. That's a mouthful."

"Y-Yes! Cirio-san!" The older male simply sighed.

As the younger male was about to swing his sword once more, a much older male, more physically buff than either of the two in the garden, strolled into the adjacent corridor, another male with blonde hair and rectangular sunglasses beside him.

A boisterous laugh erupted from the man in white cape before he spoke. "So, how's my student, Cirio?"

The male-in-question stood from his seat, arms stretched out as he yawned. "Horrible. He won't be able to lay a hand on a rat at this rate."

"As harsh as always, are you, boy," another laugh has heard. "You really are one of her's."

"Of course I am, Garp-san!" The other male, a short-haired one with white locks, and eyes that colours did not match with one another, responded with confidence as he adjusted the frame on his nose with his right middle finger. "It'll be an insult if I'm not."

"Where is she, exactly? It's been a while since I've seen her personally. Whenever there's a meeting, the one who is present is always the other one."

"Ah. Candella? Yea, since Candella prefers to be in the meetings and I don't. It's a pain to travel just to hear old egotistical men talk about stupid stuff that I don't care about." Garp burst into laughter once more.

All of a sudden, a man in white shirt and cap rushed into the garden, immediately saluting the other men in the vicinity upon halting.

"C-Cirio-sama! Urgent News!"

"Spill it out," the male sounded harsh.

"We've received a message from someone in Candella-sama's ship. She's been taken out!"

This shocked the two teen males in the garden, the one with pink hair more surprised than the other. Garp, on the other hand, just laughed while Cirio's reaction was simply an arrogant-like humph.

"Who did it?"

"They said it's S-Straw Hat Luffy, C-Cirio-sama!" The reporting soldier broke into a cold sweat, afraid of the reaction of the superior. Meanwhile, Garp's laughter became louder.

"As expected from my grandson! Candella was beaten!"

"L-Luffy-sama really is strong, huh!" cheered the male holding the wooden sword.

On the other hand, Cirio simply felt that his energy went out the window. He sighed, feeling tired, as he rested his forehead on one hand.

"So... she encountered Straw Hat already... What a small world."

"Shall we mobilise and head to Sealock, Cirio-sama?"

"No." Cirio stood firm. "I didn't receive any directive from My Lady. Let Candella's men take care of things."

"But they said she was torn already." Here comes another sigh from Cirio.

"This is a pain," the male said to himself. "My decision is to not intervene with Sealock. Unless we receive an order from-"

"Cirio-sama!" Another soldier marched into the garden. "A message has arrived."

"From who is it this time?" Cirio's starting to get annoyed.

"From Marine HQ. It says My Lady has to personally report to headquarters since she's been out of reach for many years now." A third sigh from Cirio came.

"I guess that's motivation enough to mobilise," sarcasm laced on the tone together with a forced laugh. "Prepare the ship. Also, contact Candella's crew. We'll be having a rendezvous with My Lady," Cirio walked from his seat and into the hallway, his own white marine coat swinging with every step. The two soldiers immediately saluted and left.

"C-Cirio-san," yelled out Coby. "I'm so sorry for my inadequate skills!" The male bowed a perfect 90. "I promise to be better once you'd allow me to resume my training with you."

"I didn't say anything about being inadequate, boy. All I said was that you were too slow. Check the pieces of paper that you've cut. The slices were straight and perfect," Cirio spoke as he walked out of sight. "That's not something you can easily do with a wooden sword. Also, I'll just contact Garp-san whenever I'm available."

And with that, Cirio has left the garden. The small pieces of paper floating before trailed the man out of the area.

Garp left out another noisy laugh before approaching his disciple.

"Cirio's just as sharp-tongued as his master, but he means well, boy, although getting a praise from his is already a reward on its own."

"Garp-san," Helmeppo interrupted. "Just how powerful is Cirio-san?"

The older male laughed once more. "Let's just say... you don't want to get on his bad side. Nor Candella's. And most certainly..."

" **Not that woman's**."

* * *

Meanwhile, in a certain portion of the dark Sealock Channel, the group of six continued on having their conversation.

"When Kana-sama was informed of the town's dilemma, she immediately announced that she wanted to help. That is why, together with the strongest people from the Plains, may they be man or woman, she and her crew thought of an elaborate scheme to not only deliver the food to those trapped but also attack the invaders swiftly and accurately but undetected."

"Simply put," Zoro cut Klara off. "They designed the labyrinth."

"Exactly. Some people of the Plains guided Kana-sama with the geography of the island while the rest helped the crew in digging the tunnels. Day and night, the work was done. Children would approach their parents with food from the plantation in order to have something to eat while tunneling. Some members of the West Wind Pirates stood guard at the land strips to deter raiders. After months of hard work and thousands of bent shovels and broken pickaxes, the original Sealock Channel was now ready for use."

"On the day of the first attack, I guided Kana-sama to the town, some of her men behind us, while another resident from the Plains headed those who would help evacuate the trapped townspeople."

"How did it go?"

"Well, Luffy-kun, for most of it, it was a success, as you can see. We found out before we started the raid that Kaido's men already drove off the other scoundrels. Not only that, the Beast Pirates who were here were already exhausted from the previous conflict. That is why there were fewer men to deal with."

"But what we weren't able to expect was the arrival of one of Kaido's best fighters. Mia the Sparrow."

Robin noticed the slight change of the old woman's tone, from slightly alert, it turned to moderately depressed.

"K-Klara-san... don't tell me _this_ Mia the Sparrow..."

"Yes, sweetie. It was this person who killed Kana-sama."


	10. C10 - From the Eyes of a Librarian

**From where we left off:**

* * *

"When Kana-sama was informed of the town's dilemma, she immediately announced that she wanted to help. That is why, together with the strongest people from the Plains, may they be man or woman, she and her crew thought of an elaborate scheme to not only deliver the food to those trapped but also attack the invaders swiftly and accurately but undetected."

"Simply put," Zoro cut Klara off. "They designed the labyrinth."

"Exactly. Some people of the Plains guided Kana-sama with the geography of the island while the rest helped the crew in digging the tunnels. Day and night, the work was done. Children would approach their parents with food from the plantation in order to have something to eat while tunnelling. Some members of the West Wind Pirates stood guard at the land strips to deter raiders. After months of hard work and thousands of bent shovels and broken pickaxes, the original Sealock Channel was now ready for use."

"On the day of the first attack, I guided Kana-sama to the town, some of her men behind us, while another resident from the Plains headed those who would help evacuate the trapped townspeople."

"How did it go?"

"Well, Luffy-kun, for most of it, it was a success, as you can see. We found out before we started the raid that Kaido's men already drove off the other scoundrels. Not only that, the Beast Pirates who were here were already exhausted from the previous conflict. That is why there were fewer men to deal with."

"But what we weren't able to expect was the arrival of one of Kaido's best fighters. Mia the Sparrow."

Robin noticed the slight change of the old woman's tone, from slightly alert, it turned to moderately depressed.

"K-Klara-san... don't tell me this Mia the Sparrow..."

"Yes, sweetie. It was this person who killed Kana-sama."

* * *

 _ **A/N: I really want to know what the readers think about this story, so please leave comments if it's not a bother...**_

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - From the Eyes of a Librarian**

* * *

Teartoga Kana of the West Wind Pirates and Nico Robin had a history, a history that started from nothing more than a small eye contact at a local market somewhere in West Blue. Even after parting ways, the archaeologist never thought of Kana nor her subordinates as stepping stones for her dream – _well_ , at the end anyway.

That is to say, when the female from Ohara heard from the elder the name of her old friend's murderer, like any other curious people would do, she pried for more information.

"Klara-san," her voice wavering in slight shock. "Is this that pirate's name those papers in your room censored?"

"Sadly, yes. During those times, publishing the name of any member of the Beast Pirates will land you in a bath of your own red blood. Even the press people were no exception."

Robin fell silent. Although she has already read about it hours earlier and was even further informed of it by the older woman, she was still lost for words.

Klara did not fail to notice the archaeologist's silence.

"It all happened during the last day of the so-called 'Day of Redemption'. After three whole days of fighting, at the fourth day, most of the pirates withdrew and returned to Wano, leaving those who wished to defend Kaido's claim on the island."

"The remnants of the Beast Pirates were cornered into the old floating market, the location of which is the beach only a few blocks away from the library. Kana-sama along with most of her people were surrounding the goons of Kaido quite excellently that day. It was going to end smoothly... until..." Klara paused for a few seconds as she stood in place, taking in a deep breath.

"A rain of arrows rushed from the town and into where the West Wind Pirates stood."

A-Arrows? The men were both shocked and confused.

"Most of the arrows accurately hit the arms and legs of the West Wind Pirates, Kana-sama included."

"Arrows?" Zoro squeezed in. "There were actually still people a few years ago that uses arrows as weapons?"

"I agree with the green man over here," Hayato supported, his thumb pointing towards the swordsman behind him. Little did he know, Zoro...

"W-What did you say, you brat?" The swordsman was obviously triggered.

"Green man," the bartender deadpanned. "It's reality. Have you seen that patch of grass on your head? I wouldn't be shocked if people would even think bugs live there. Don't act all shocked about it."

"Why you–" As Zoro was about to hit Hayato, Yuu rushed to stop the swordsman, hands flailing in the air while standing between the two.

"Z-Zoro-san! Please don't mind Hayato! His tongue may be sharp at times but he doesn't mean any harm!"

"Hayato..."

 _Oh, my..._

...

After a quick disciplinary action from Klara, Hayato continued on marching ahead of everyone, his legs weirdly close to each other. Yuu simply walked beside his friend, looking as if he was comforting the guy. Meanwhile, the old woman behind them had the female archaeologist beside her while Luffy and Zoro followed at the back.

"It's true that it may be awkward to find someone still using arrows at this time and age, but that's actually what made Mia the Sparrow a good tactician. Cloaking each arrowhead with Haki, the harm she and her subordinates brought were quite deadly. Each arrow was just as strong, or even stronger, than that of an ordinary bullet." Zoro thought to contemplate at the back.

"Not to mention, she was also a Devil Fruit user."

Yuu and Hayato were confused by the term. Not knowing what it meant, they turned to the elder not before locking eyes with each other.

"Devil Fruit? What is that?" Yuu voiced out.

"A Devil Fruit is a - "

"A Devil Fruit is like this!" Without any warning, Luffy stretched his arms forward in a flash, barely avoiding Yuu and his friend. Seeing the captain's limb extend beyond him, the white-haired teen fell on the ground in shock, his arms on the floor as support.

"W-Wha... What is that!?"

"I'm a Devil Fruit user. I ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi and became the Rubber Man. Amazing, isn't it?" Luffy let out a cheeky laugh. "Didn't you see me fight earlier?"

"I was panicking earlier, okay? I was too frantic to check on everything!"

"So, Robin-san, don't tell me you're also a..."

"Yes, Hayato-kun. I'm also a Devil Fruit user. I ate the Hana-Hana no Mi when I was a kid and became..." the archaeologist slowly lifted an arm upward in a circular motion, two limbs sprouting from her elbow. "the Flower Woman."

"Eh? That's an interesting ability, huh..." the bartender folded his arms in amazement, the lamp on one hand. As he slowly turned his head to the swordsman and tilted it to one side, one brow raised, Zoro immediately knew why he was stared at.

"I'm not one of them," he replied with certainty.

The bartender shook his head. "How disappointing," the male mockingly shrugged as he turned towards Yuu. Though this clearly irritated Zoro, he tried to calm himself down.

Yuu extended his hands to the fallen friend and helped Yuu stand up. "Then, that Vice Admiral's Devil Fruit is the Kami-Kami no Mi, if I remember her words correctly."

"It is," Zoro grunted. "So apparently, there's a Devil Fruit which is immune to Haki. This is frustrating."

"That is why I told Robin-chan here that Vice Admiral Candella is no ordinary officer."

"T-That woman?" Yuu sounded alarmed. "W-What do you mean, Klara-san?"

"I've seen her once when I was still a slave when my former master and I visited Marineford. Another time was when I visited a neighbouring island a few years ago. She never aged."

"What do you mean?" Robin's just as anxious as the young white-haired teen.

"Exactly what I said. How she looked all those years never changed and most probably never did."

"Is there even a Devil Fruit that has that ability?" Zoro's third to voice out.

"There is one Devil Fruit that can grant the user eternal youth, but I don't know if there's more than one fruit that has the same effect."

"That's unfair!" The captain whined. "That woman's hogging all the good stuff!"

Zoro raised a brow. "What do you even need eternal youth for?"

"So I'll never look old while I eat as I age." Luffy let out a hearty laugh to which Zoro simply sighed while Robin giggled.

"Anyway..." Klara interrupted. "Back to our topic before."

"Mia the Sparrow used the power of the Tori-Tori no Mi, Model: Sparrow. With her Devil Fruit, she swooped down into the battlefield and took the life of Kana-sama."

The rest of the walk consisted of Klara talking about the rest of the events that happened in the fight. Questions were asked left, right, and centre by everyone, even by Hayato.

How did the fight between Kana-sama and Mia conclude?

How were the Beast Pirates expelled from Sealock?

What happened afterwards?

In a nutshell, it was _chaos_.

When one of the former high ranking members of the Beast Pirates joined the battle, she flew, took Kana with her, and decided to settle the fight somewhere else. Similar to Mia, Kana also had powers of a Devil Fruit at her disposal, yet, considering that the Zoan Devil Fruit user can fly and the other cannot, it was slightly obvious where the tides of the match were favouring.

In their own section of the Floating Market, the captain of the West Wind Pirates and the officer of the Beast Pirates were having their own dance of death. Kana kept thrusting her trusted weapon of choice - a rapier, towards her opponent, only to miss most of the time since the latter simply flew away from the attacks. On the other hand, Mia, using her Haki-infused wings sliced down towards the flightless opponent, easily injuring her. Kana was able to land a few hits on her opponent, yet there were not enough.

Convinced that she can end the dance immediately, Mia swooped down for the very last time in her animal form, her wings strengthened with Haki, and used the opportunity to land the finishing blow.

Mia was well aware of the opponent's Devil Fruit and its abilities, but all of her information is only from rumours. She hasn't seen Kana use it ever since she took the captain elsewhere.

Despite that, she did not care. She knew she can win the fight, so the flying pirate decided to immediately settle everything.

Little did she know, Kana was already using her Devil Fruit right even before Mia showed herself.

Kana, along with her excellent fencing skills, had an intriguing Devil Fruit ability. Her Devil Fruit gave her the power to influence anyone's attention span and manipulate them to her own will without them noticing or having anything to say about it. Basically, the powers of the Devil Fruit she ate when she was younger gave her the abilities to control the attention of anyone and bend it to her own will. It's not exactly brainwashing that she does. Although it is similar, it is not as devious as that. _Or is it_?

That is why when Mia was rapidly descending, with her mind focused on ripping the opponent into pieces, Kana finally used her Devil Fruit powers. As someone who had full powers on where she can direct her target's concentration - either towards or away from her, from the very beginning, Kana was already at an advantage.

It was just that...

For some reason...

She relied on it only when the fight was almost over.

Thinking she can defeat the flying opponent without her Devil Fruit ability was the nail in her coffin.

As Mia was rushing down from the skies, eyes locked onto her opponent, Kana placed her rapier in front of her, the handle on the level of her chest, closed her eyes to concentrate, and after a short while, swiftly opened her eyes as she swung her weapon to the right.

With a quick cry, Mia lost her focus and swirled in her path, spiralling towards the bay beyond the boats full of fruits and vegetables behind her opponent. The Zoan user was losing altitude sharply; She knew the moment she falls into the water, she's done for, so in a fit of panic, she did what Kana was not expecting.  
With little control over her wings, she barely tilted one to the side, causing her to divert slightly. Now, Kana is in her path. As the flying fighter descended more, her wings were able to swipe Kana off her feet, the latter clearly not expecting such an event.

Within a few seconds, both Devil Fruit users were submerged in the sea, crushing several gathered boats in the process. Some of the floating vessels did stray away from the dock because of the impact, but both Mia and Kana were unable to reach for something to keep themselves afloat and were still left to sink into the bottom of the bay.

When the entire ordeal was settled, some crew members of Kana dove to retrieve their captain, only to salvage two cold, lifeless bodies. All that was left of the entire fight between the two Devil Fruit users was the rapier Kana dropped when she was taken by Mia down with her.

In memory of the remaining crew of the West Wind Pirates, they defended Sealock from the forces of Kaido who tried to take the island back. After a few crewmates who separated with the group prior to their arrival at the island reunited with the rest of the crew, Kaido and the Beast Pirates abandoned their claim on the island.

Soon after, the West Wind Pirates disbanded. Some stayed to defend Sealock for the sake of their fallen captain's wish while others sailed to neighbouring islands to start a new life.

Basically, that's all that happened. Klara didn't bother giving more details into the event. For her, the important part - the confrontation of Kana and Mia, was enough.

It has been almost two hours since Luffy and the gang walked down the web-infested tunnels. Along the way, the captain's stomach growled more than once.

Irritated, Hayato decided to give the childish captain some bread he was keeping in his person.

"Y-You're a nice guy, huh!" Luffy was happy, both hands on the piece of bread he was given.

"Well, you did reunite me with this idiot right here," Hayato nudged Yuu by the shoulder. "If this guy were to be taken by that crazy woman, I can't even imagine what would happen to him." An eye glanced sideways, observing the white-haired teenager.

"Yuu? Isn't there something that you need to tell Luffy-san and the others?"

As Yuu murmured to himself a bit, he stopped in his tracks, others behind him also ceased moving. The male turned around to meet the Straw Hat Pirates.

"E-Everyone, thank you so much for saving me," the male bowed a perfect 90, his voice soft but full of gratitude. "If it wasn't for you guys, especially Zoro-san and..." Yuu tried to take a peek at Robin but after immediately flinching at seeing the female's face, withdrew his eyes. "yeah... Anyway, I really appreciate you rescuing me."

As a response, Luffy simply laughed.

"Don't mention, it!"

The younger male straightened himself. "I haven't officially introduced myself to you, guys, and I guess it's okay for me to do that now."

"My name is Yuu. Nice to meet you, guys."

Hayato, Klara, and Zoro simply smiled at the teenager whereas Luffy did more than that. He grinned with his teeth showing. Robin felt just as happy as the others, her face showing it as well.

"And I am Hayato," interrupted the bartender. "I'm just as grateful as Yuu for rescuing him."

"But..."

"Why did you guys decide on rescuing me? I don't even know you, people..."

Feeling that it was his responsibility to tell the other male, Hayato approached his friend and was about to whisper to the other, a hand already cupped around Yuu's ear, when he was beaten to it.

"Because we want you to join our crew."

"Eeh?"

A cheeky laugh from Luffy erupted.

"Yuu. My crewmates and I want you to become one of us!"


	11. C11 - The Safer Option

**From where we left off:**

* * *

The younger male straightened himself. "I haven't officially introduced myself to you, guys, and I guess it's okay for me to do that now."

"My name is Yuu. Nice to meet you, guys."

Hayato, Klara, and Zoro simply smiled at the teenager whereas Luffy did more than that. He grinned with his teeth showing. Robin felt just as happy as the others, her face showing it as well.

"And I am Hayato," interrupted the bartender. "I'm just as grateful as Yuu for rescuing him."

"But..."

"Why did you guys decide on rescuing me? I don't even know you, people..."

Feeling that it was his responsibility to tell the other male, Hayato approached his friend and was about to whisper to the other, a hand already cupped around Yuu's ear, when he was beaten to it.

"Because we want you to join our crew."

"Eeh?"

A cheeky laugh from Luffy erupted.

"Yuu. My crewmates and I want you to become one of us!"

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - The Safer Option**

* * *

The group of six, led by two male youngsters, continued to march towards the approaching exit of the dark and web-infested Sealock Channel.

Several minutes ago, the pirate captain in the group, Monkey D. Luffy, formally invited the white-haired Yuu to join his crew. Judging from how the six people are heading to their location, an answer expected by the Rubber Man was provided.

...

"U-Uh..."

"Excuse me, Luffy-san," Hayato pulled his friend away from the pirate, "We appreciate you guys rescuing him. That's clear here. However..."

"If it's not obvious, we're trying to get away from the Marines, not openly becoming an actual opponent for them to hunt down in their leisure time. In fact, not only the Marines. Yuu here is avoiding even the simplest of town hooligans. Letting him be one of the government's targeted criminals is completely out of the question. I won't allow Yuu be a pirate."

Robin and Zoro were both surprised by how Hayato put his foot down. Luffy, on the other hand, responded with pouting, clearly dissatisfied with what he heard. However, Klara simply stood like nothing was wrong.

As expected of an elder, she was simply observing.

"I suppose you let your friend decide on his own," the swordsman voiced out from the side. "If he likes to be one of us since, personally, I don't mind if Yuu joins us."

The concerned people turned their eyes towards the fidgeting Yuu. With his face covered by his dangling bangs, the male tried to respond but all that came out of his lips were incoherent mumbling.

"Oi, Yuu," Luffy tried to reach the other male but was quickly blocked by the bartender.

"I'm sorry for how I will be acting, Luffy-san, even after rescuing Yuu and helping us get away from that Vice Admiral, but..." using the back of his left hand, Hayato quickly flicked away the stretched out appendage of the captain. "I humbly request you guys to refrain from forcing Yuu to join you."

"What's the problem?" Luffy finally voiced out his frustration. "Why can't you let Yuu join us?"

"U-Um..."

"What is it, Yuu?" Robin queried, the worry in her face masked her eagerness to hear the male's response.

"I think I'll go with Hayato."

"W-What?" Luffy was shocked.

"I-It won't be safe out there in the open sea for me. Hayato is right."

"What do you mean?" the captain stepped closer to Yuu, only to be blocked by Hayato. "We're here to protect you. Robin, Zoro, and I, as well as the others, will surely protect you."

"I-I don't think I'd like people whom I never met to watch my back. I'll stay here with Hayato," the male quickly gripped the hem on the back of the shirt of his friend. "C-Come on, Hayato."

With the friend's tugging, both males continued walking towards the destination.

"O-Oi!" Luffy tried to stretch an arm again.

"I suppose we should continue walking, young one," Klara stepped in. "If I'm not mistaken, the petrol inside Hayato's held lamp is almost used up. We have to proceed before we run out of light."

...

Thus, the eerie silence.

Yuu was still beside his friend while the latter was obviously on his guard against the captain behind them, his golden-brown orbs carefully observing through the corner of his eyes.

Behind them, Luffy was obviously displeased with how he was talked to.

"I would like to personally apologise for Hayato's attitude towards you guys," Klara softly said.

"He's just thinking about Yuu's well-being. They've been like family to each other since they met four years ago, after all."

"It's a bit too much, don't you think," the swordsman commented in slight annoyance.

"Hayato wasn't wrong, though. The town thugs would always pummel Yuu every time they see him and for no reason, at that. Either Hayato or I would later end up patching the kid up."

A side-effect of his Devil Fruit, perhaps? Robin thought.

"Those two don't have any blood relatives on this island. Ever since they found each other, both have been practically joined at the hips."

"Is that so..." The captain pondered as he folded his arms over his chest in thought.

"That Hayato kid acts like the other's mum," Zoro scoffed, to which Klara simply chuckled amusingly.

"Well, I can't disagree with that."

Whether Zoro wanted the bartender to hear his mocking, no one knew, but it certainly did not escape Hayato's ears. "I can hear you from over here, you know..."

"Yeah, and what will you do about it, you overprotective mum?"

The grip Hayato had on the lamp tightened, completely pissed off with the swordsman's taunt. However, he simply let it off with a heavy sigh and continued walking. "At least this overprotective mother was able to thwart that Vice Admiral, even for a little bit. Unlike a certain muscle head over there..."

"W-Why you little–"

"Ouch!"

When Hayato stopped for a few seconds to bicker with the swordsman, Yuu, on the other hand, continued walking even with the light behind him getting dimmer as he marched. Because of that, his foot unexpectedly collided with something hard on his path. In pain, he quickly knelt and rubbed his affected foot. His friend rushed as soon as he heard the yelp.

"What happened?" The bartender lowered his lamp to illuminate the writhing teen.

"M-My foot... Something's blocking the path. Can you light the front a bit?" Hayato did what he was told.

It was...

"Oh my," Klara clapped her hands in joy. "We're at the exit."

"Exit?"

"Hayato dear, can you step on the coloured rock in front of Yuu?"

In the path in front of the team was the mentioned coloured rock, a red rock shaped into a disc which looked to have been placed there deliberately. Behind the rock was a dead end, with both left and right walls meeting with each other. In response to the elder's request, Hayato slowly approached the possible culprit behind his friend's pain.

"I will... step on this?"

"Yes, dear. The exit should appear soon after."

Although hesitating a bit, the bartender decided to use his right foot and stepped on the rock as high as five inches. As he continued to apply pressure on his foot, the red rock sunk on the floor, scaring Hayato slightly. After the rock was fully submerged and level with the floor, the ceiling directly above Zoro parted.

As it opened, little by little, small stones and sand came raining down onto the swordsman, much to his chagrin and to the bartender's hidden amusement. A few minutes later, along with a completely dusty Zoro, appeared a square-shape exit above their heads.

"That's the exit?" From the looks of the white-haired male's face, he was disappointed by how they would go out of the dark tunnel.

"I didn't say that there'd be stairs," the older female chuckled.

As soon as Luffy saw the bright light, he got eager to get out into the open. As a result, Luffy stretched his arms as he aimed for the corners of the barely big enough exit and propelled himself out of the tunnel and into a secluded part of a forest. With trees surrounding the exit, it seemed that the group was safe.

As the captain landed on his feet, he quickly retracted his arms, stretched them upwards, and yelled 'Finally!' before laughing.

Meanwhile, Robin placed herself directly below one corner of the hole and crossed her arms.

"Treinta Fleur."

In a breeze, arms sprouted from the floor and from the ceiling, limbs connected with each other, and after a few seconds, all arms formed something that resembled a ladder made of light-coloured wood.

"Oh, my, Robin-chan," the older woman approached the sprouted limbs near her. "This makeshift ladder," she giggled slightly, "Thank you."

"Your welcome, Klara-san. Come on," the archaeologist grabbed on her assembled organic ladder, "we can use this to get out of here."

After Robin got out of the hole, the three remaining males carefully guided the elder woman up the ladder, with the archaeologist aiding her at the mouth of the exit. After both females were safely out, it was Zoro's turn, but before he even grabbed a hold of the sides of the ladder, he noticed the white-haired teen shiver beside the bartender.

"Oi. W-What's wrong?"

"I-I don't mind helping Klara-san, but do I really also have to climb that thing?"

"What are you talking about?" Zoro raised a brow.

"Don't tell me..." Hayato turned around to his friend. "This may technically be related to that, but unless you want to get out of this dark hole, you have to touch it."

"Do I have any other option?" Whined the shuffling Yuu.

The green-haired swordsman approached the two males with height shorter than his own by a few centimetres in wonder. "What's the problem with him?" He asked the bartender.

"So, you do care, Mr Swords-for-Brains," Hayato scoffed as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Shut up, you possessive parent."

"Huh?" The two then quickly locked eyes with each other in frustration.

On the other side of the exit, Robin was wondering why no one was going up the ladder, so she peeked into the dark tunnel.

"Is there a problem down there?"

"Ah, yes. Yuu won't climb the stairs."

"You really are an insensitive piece of crap, aren't you?" Zoro was clearly irked and simply turned his back against the two others. Although, from the corner of his eyes, the swordsman noticed the bartender approaching the other male and tried to calm him down.

"Think of it as a … hm..."

"A real-life version of e-sugoroku. The die told you to progress and you shall."

"But, isn't this more like Snakes and Ladders?"

"Well... it is..."

"I rather choose the snake, then! I prefer going back than touching that ladder!"

Hayato understood how his friend was feeling. However, they have been holding up the others for quite some time already. With one hand on his hip, the bartender sighed in mental exhaustion.

"Yuu... Come on, let's go."

"Don't want to! No!" The shaking male stepped back, away from the bartender. Hayato sighed once more and turned around towards the mouth of the exit, to Klara who was also peeking down on them.

"Klara-san, are there other exits here that actually has steps? Or like... completely level with the ground? Like a cave or something?"

"It's very far from here, dear," responded the elder. "That kind of exit would be near the beach at the northernmost part of the island. You won't have enough petrol for your lamp if you go out there."

"Is that so..."

The bartender rubbed his chin, pondering, as he watched his friend shake in fear in front of him. Yuu was shivering, his arms folded over his chest while his nails dug deep into his own skin. His face wasn't any calmer. His dilated eyes and slightly ajar mouth also told him that the poorly dressed male was scared. Terrified.

Yuu...

Not known to Hayato, the other male remaining inside the tunnel walked closer to the shaking youngster and, without any warning, wrapped his arms around the other's hip, raising him high and placing him over his shoulders.

"Z-Zoro-san! W-What are you doing?"

"O-Oi! You tactless idiot! What are you doing with Yuu! Put him down!"

A frantic bartender immediately blocked the swordsman as he turned around towards the makeshift ladder. With both hands raised on the sides, Hayato stood strong against Zoro, his eyes fiercely staring at the pirate.

"What do you think you're doing with Yuu?! Are you out of your mind?!"

"If you two are considering on going through the long way, fine by me, but do you think you two can continue on this dark path knowing that you have little gas left and none of you has any idea where this exit is?"

Hayato stood speechless, the strength of his arms leaving as he thought about what the slightly older male pointed out. On the other hand, Yuu also calmed down after listening to the remark.

"Don't expect your grandmother to continue walking down this path. If you two have any consideration, you would not involve her as you two plan on heading off somewhere else."

The raised arms slowly settled down as Hayato processed what Zoro said and looked away from the pirate in contemplation.

"I-It's not as if we didn't think of that, you moron... it's just that..."

"H-Hayato," the other male's voiced made Hayato look back at the green-haired male, "I guess Zoro-san has a point."

Zoro internally smiled at the compliment but masked it with a slight huff.

The third male's voice was low but shaky, as if he accepted the situation but is still scared of what would happen.

"Z-Zoro-san... in that case, what will you do with me?"

"I'll carry you while I climb the ladder," both younger males gasped in shock.

"C-Can you even climb if you do that?" Hayato questioned strongly.

On the other hand, Yuu sounded reassuring. "Okay. I'll trust you on this one, Zoro-san."

"O-Oi! Yuu! Are you sure about this?" The bartender quickly ran behind Zoro to face his friend.

"Of course," smiled the other male. "I'm a bit scared. We might fall or I may be dropped, but, I trust Zoro-san. Try trusting him, too, okay?"

Hayato did not expect the words that came out of his friend's own two lips.

Try trusting him, eh...

Hayato looked at his friend's expression. Yuu does look a bit scared, but he sounded very positive. The small smile on his face proved to Hayato that the other was confident of the swordsman.

In that case...

"Okay. You got me," Hayato raised his arms in defeat. "You two go up first, just in case something happens. Although..." The bartender looked up at the two females on the exit. "Robin-san, I don't know how your powers work, but... will this put a lot of stress on you?"

"Don't worry about it, I can handle the pressure," Robin was confident.

Hayato stared at both pirates quickly and briefly pondered on everything.

"Fine. You two. Go. Now."

Zoro approached the foot of the ladder and held tight on one of its rails, not before inspecting it from foot to top.

"Hold on tight, you got that?"

"Y-Yes, Zoro-san," exclaimed Yuu in assurance.

As the slimmer male wrapped his arms around the bulkier male, Zoro slowly raised a foot onto the first step. After a few more steps, the swordsman slowly raised his free hand, the hand not securing the younger male's waist, to hold tight to a higher portion of the ladder.

Hayato stared at the two in cold sweat, his hands clasped together and directly touching his chin as if he was praying for his friend's – and the swordsman's, safety.

After at least 10 steps, Zoro and his luggage finally reached the exit. The moment the pirate landed his feet on the soil, Hayato down below released a big sigh of worry. Robin, on the other hand, simply smiled along with Klara.

While Yuu was slowly being put down by Zoro, Hayato quickly followed suit, one hand firmly on the lamp while climbing the provided ladder.

Within a few minutes, all six were finally above ground. Robin deactivated her ability, turning the makeshift ladder into pure nothingness. Hayato approached Yuu as soon as he emerged and inspected the male from head to toe for any injuries. The other male simply smiled at the attention.

"I'm safe, Hayato. See?" The male playfully spun. "No injuries whatsoever."

"Good," Hayato turned his eyes towards the swordsman standing beside his captain, "I suppose I have to give credit where credit is due."

"You're welcome," that was all that Zoro said, monotonously, before he turned around against the two. The bartender simply scoffed and did the same.

"Really?" Sensing a weird aura, Yuu quickly grabbed the friend's hand and pulled him in front of Zoro.

"Zoro-san," said the male as he stood in front of him, "Thank you for helping me climb..." Yuu then shivered as he remembered what he considered as a 'Ladder of Hell.'

"You're welcome, brat," one calloused hand landed on top of Yuu's mop of white hair. "I just hope your friend is just as grateful."

"H-He is!" With that, Yuu grabbed Hayato by the shoulders and placed him beside him, facing the swordsman. "Come on, Hayato."

"Thank you for helping Yuu up the ladder," Hayato tried to fake sincerity, but clearly did not pass Zoro's standards.

"Well," the other male mockingly used his right pinkie and cleaned his right ear, "Can you repeat that? I didn't hear it clearly."

"Thank you ever so much, Seaweed-san. I really appreciate an alga like yourself helping my friend here," monotonously retaliated the other, to only which Zoro obviously irked at. As he was about to draw a sword, Yuu quickly came in between them, distancing them with his extended arms, while both males glared daggers at each other.

"Oh, my..." Yuu felt uneasy with the two. "P-Please don't start killing each other, okay?"

Both males looked at each other in disgust and sighed heavily, now avoiding to stare at one another.

"Anyway," Hayato remembered, "I'm still against Yuu joining your crew, you got that, Luffy-san?"

"W-Why are you so against it?" The captain whined.

"Just because. Now come on, Yuu. Let's go," the bartender pulled the other male and started walking away from the others, not before asking the elder who went with them inside the tunnel, "Klara-san, this is the forest beside old man Hazkon's plantation, is that right?"

"Yes, it is," confirmed Klara.

"Good," his grip on his friend tightened, "in that case, we'll be off now, Klara-san. I guess we'll see you later at dinner."

"Okay, see you boys, okay?"

After a hummed response from the bartender, both males started walking away from the group. However, Luffy, still feeling dissatisfied with the answer, stretched his arms towards nearby trees and catapulted himself against the distancing males. Both Hayato and Yuu were then hit on impact by the carefree male as all three came crashing into a nearby tree.

As soon as Hayato regained his bearing, two exasperated hands grabbed Luffy by the collar of his shirt.

"T-That's the second time I got involved with your freakishly dangerous ability, damn it! One more of this stuff and I'll kill you, you brat!"

"But..." The captain was unfazed by the apparent anger, as it seemed, "I want Yuu to join my crew! The others find him interesting, especially Robin. Chopper also wants to continue treating his wounds!"

Suddenly intrigued, Hayato quickly turned his head towards the friend, scanning his from head to toe once more.

 _N-Now that you mention it... He does have bandages all over him..._

"Also!" The male continued, "We can protect him very well. I'm strong, after all! What's your problem with that!?" Black orbs then glared fiercely at golden brown ones.

Hayato also leered at the other male for a few seconds, then released his grip on the pirate soon after. Using his right hand to comb his hair from the bangs, the bartender simply sighed while eyes on the leaves of the trees above him.

"I respect your opinion, Luffy-san, I really do. After all, you guys who are complete strangers to Yuu and I decided to save us from well-armed Marines. However," the speaking male lowered his eyes to focus on the pirate captain, "staying on this island where we can easily hide from anyone who wants to harm us is the easier option. Now that Klara-san just shared us a very convenient way of escaping our persecutors, Yuu and I will be able to stay safe while we're here in Sealock."

Luffy simply sat crisscrossed on the ground, seriously listening to the bartender.

"Yuu, what do you say about this?" Golden brown orbs then shifted towards the white-haired male nearby.

"I-I agree with Hayato. Luffy-san, I really, really, appreciate the help, but it would be very unsafe for someone like me who can't even swim anymore to travel on the seas with people who not only are complete strangers to me but also wanted by the entire world."

Near the exit, Klara and the two other pirates simply listened to the conversation.

"W-We'll be going now, come on, Hayato." Yuu slowly bowed a perfect 90 before turning around and leaving the forest along with Hayato and this time, for real.

"Well..." Zoro approached the captain who's trying to stand up, "that was completely different from the usual recruitment process."

"Zoro..." The swordsman hummed in confusion, "because of that, I feel more convinced that we should really have Yuu in our crew."

"Huh? Were you even listening to what those two have been saying?"

"I am. However..."

At this point, Robin and Klara walked closer to the two males.

"A very strong Vice Admiral just saw their faces. Up close, at that. Staying here in Sealock would not help them if she would really look for them."

"You have a point."

 _I can't even cut her down..._

"That is why we really have to get them to join us!"


End file.
